Falling Slowly
by Becarefulwhatuwish4
Summary: Sequel to Taking Chances. Everyone is living together near court and Adrian and Rose are about to get married. Will their life together last when the Moroi world gets news that will change it forever? Mostly T, but some M scenes.
1. Chapter 1

**Falling Slowly, The Sequel to Taking Chances**

**Summary: Sequel to Taking Chances. The time has come for Adrian and Rose's wedding, but will their lives together last when Rose gets some big news Adrian isn't prepared for?**

**Take this sinking boat and point it home, we still got time. Raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice, you make it now. **

**A/N: Ok, so lets say that Christian's parents left him all their money… so he's rich now too.**

Lissa pulled me through the rows and rows of wedding dresses, making me regret letting her help me choose my wedding dress.

A woman in a black skirt led us into a small room in the back of the shop. "Hello." She said, "My name is Trina. And you must be Rose?" She gestured to me.

"Yeah. Hi. This is Lissa, my maid of honor."

I sat down in one chair, and Trina sat in another, leaving one chair between us. Lissa promptly sat in it. "Ok." Lissa started. "Rose really isn't into this that much but here's the gist of it: Rose doesn't want the classic dress. She wants something that fits her personality better. She's dramatic, and she wants something more sexy." Lissa really had thought a lot more about this than I had. I had thought vaguely about my dress. I had told Lissa I didn't want something traditional, and she had expanded on that. I really didn't care as long as I found a dress in the end.

"Alright." Trina said, and she led us out into the shop to look through the dresses. "What's your price range?" She asked me, and just as I was about to answer, Lissa cut me off.

"Adrian says that price doesn't matter for the dress." I shot a shocked look at her, and she just shrugged.

The woman pulled several dresses for me to try on, and on the way to the fitting room, Lissa spotted a dress on a mannequin. She loved it, and I thought it was pretty, so the woman went to get the dress. Lissa helped me into the first dress. It was strapless and made of silk. The neckline had delicate beading, and the bottom flowed out in a short train. The most interesting part of the dress was the bodice though. The silk cris-crossed until it reached my waist.

"It's pretty." Lissa said.

"I don't like it." The crosses were making me look fat. "I look fat."

"You do not." Lissa assured me. "But I don't see you walking down the isle in this dress."

"Neither do I." I agreed.

I tried on several more dresses, but then I found the dress I liked the most in the pile and tried it on. It was strapless and hugged my body in all the right places, accentuating my curves. It was made of silk and flared out at the bottom. There was a lot of beading, that started at the top then thinned out toward the bottom. It wasn't the most dramatic dress or the dress that fit my personality best, but it looked great on me. I could tell by Lissa's face that she loved it. And as I stood there looking at myself in it, I could see myself wearing it down the isle, see Adrian's face when he saw me, and then I decided. "This is the dress." I looked at Lissa in the mirror, and saw she'd gone all teary on me. "Liss!" I groaned, and she just shook her head at me.

"Whenever I imagined your wedding…" She started, "I always thought you'd be the bride in the jeans and t-shirt." She sniffed, and I hugged her. She seemed hesitant to touch the dress, as if her touch alone would destroy the delicate fabric. "I was thinking if I brought you here maybe you would get a dress… I just didn't know you would look so good in it." She started sobbing again.

"Lissa! Lissa calm down! It's a dress!"

"It's your wedding dress!"

"I guess it is."

Lissa and I left a little while later, heading back to our new home. It was about fifteen minutes from court, and it was _big_. It was a colonial, and it was three floors. The third floor had lots of dormers and all of the windows had shutters. The house was white wood, and the front door had a little square porch in front of it, with white fencing, slate steps, and everything. There were big green bushes and a huge tree in the front lawn, and a pathway to the door that was lined with white flowers. The grass was all very green, and there was a five-car garage (It was recently remodeled to accommodate Moroi and guardians), which came in handy because Adrian, Eddie, Lissa, Christian, Violet, Mia, and April all lived in one house. It had six bedrooms. Adrian and I shared one, Lissa and Christian had one, Violet and April shared a room, and Eddie and Mia shared a room (Eddie had proposed to her a week after graduation).

I was Lissa's guardian now, so Adrian and I lived with her and Christian. Adrian's guardian was Eddie, so Mia moved in as well as him. Mia's Guardian was April, and Christaian's guardian was Violet. We were all like one big happy family. Luke and Scott, who were dating April and Violet, were working in the court until they got assignments, so April and Violet got to see them a lot.

We pulled into the garage and I let my eyes scan all five cars. There was a black BMW that most of the rich Moroi families had for when they went out on official business with their guardians. There was also my Porsche that Adrian had given me and Lissa had a white beetle convertible, which she LOVED. Adrian had revealed that he had a red Ferrari F430 Spider and had brought it to the house too. There was also a Mercedes SUV for when we all wanted to go somewhere in one car. I thought it was excessive, but when you had three extremely rich people living in your house, these things tend to happen. I mean really, really, rich people. With really, really, rich families. Families that think a Mercedes is a good house-warming gift (but I wasn't objecting). I felt really awkward whenever how rich these people were came up, because I hadn't been raised rich like they had. I was pretty sure Eddie and Mia agreed with me. Violet and April on the other hand had been raised by their rich Moroi mother. She had kicked them out after some 'incident' that the twins refused to comment on.

Anyway, we were all happy living in our big house in the middle of nowhere. It was a good thing we had wards too, three of them. The queen had been nervous about Lissa living outside the court, so she sent out a team of Moroi to re-install the wards every two weeks.

"Rose?" Lissa called. She was standing in the doorway, staring at me. "You coming?"

"Yeah." I said, following her inside. She threw the folder she had been carrying and her car keys onto the kitchen table and kissed Christian on the cheek. He was making something for dinner, and it smelled really good. "Meatloaf?" She asked him, and he nodded.

Adrian walked into the kitchen, a glass of wine in his hand. He placed it on the counter and I hugged him. "Hey georgous." He greeted me.

"Guess what I just did!" I asked him.

"What?"

"I picked out my wedding dress!"

He grinned and whispered to me, "I always pegged you as the get-married-in-jeans type."


	2. Chapter 2

**Falling Slowly: Sequel to Taking Chances**

**Falling slowly, eyes that know me.**

Chapter 2

Lissa and Adrian both needed to go to court the next day, so Eddie and I went with them. We all piled into the BMW, Lissa and I in the front seat, Adrian and Eddie in the back. Normally, Adrian and Lissa would both have two guardians, but they had both insisted that they only needed one (Lissa felt bad about the few guardians and wanted to spread us out. We still didn't know why Adrian did it…).

Adrian and Lissa had to see the queen, so when we got to court and had passed through the gates, we headed towards her residence. Lissa was carrying her pink laptop case, and Adrian had a binder with him and was leafing through papers. Eddie and I were shadows. Seeing, but not seeing. We opened the doors for the Moroi, and we all bowed to the queen. Eddie and I stood guard at the doors, saying nothing.

"Hello, Aunt." Adrian greeted the queen.

"Hello Adrian, Vasilisa. Please, sit." She gestured to two chairs, and they sat.

"As you know, it is time for me to name who will be the next ruler. Adrian, you know I cannot choose you because we are of the same bloodline, and I am very sorry." She didn't look too sorry. I don't think she believed in Adrian at all. "But Vasilisa, I have thought about this for a long time, and you have the skills to become a great Queen. You will not become queen until I pass, but for now, I will mentor you and teach you the ways of the court." Lissa looked shocked. I don't think there had ever been a queen as young as Lissa. She was only eighteen now, so maybe twenty or twenty-one when the queen died (She was pretty old). "I can't tell you how to be a good leader, Vasilisa, but I can try to help you as much as possible."

They then started talking about the details of this arrangement and how Lissa should keep Adrian involved. I internally laughed when the queen said, "He needs some guidance. Promise me that when I pass, you will keep him on track." Lissa raised her eyebrows and sent her thoughts to me through the bond. _What am I, his mother?_ Before she shot a glance at Adrian. He was grinning too.

"I don't need guidance, Aunt." He said, which started this whole family argument, which consisted of a lot of 'this is what is best for you's and a lot of 'I'm doing this because I love you's.

Adrian soon got up and poured himself a drink. Tatiana glared at him. "The other reason I called you here is because we need to talk about this offensive magic movement. You seem interested in it I want you and Adrian to spearhead a committee to get people more open to the idea. I don't care what the other royals want. I want us safe. If the younger Moroi want it, they will listen to you more than to me.

We left about an hour and a half after we had gotten there, and Eddie and Adrian got into some conversation. Lissa and I trailed behind. "Queen Lissa. " I mused. "Sounds pretty good."

"Oh be quiet!" She said, but I could tell she was really excited. "It does sound pretty good doesn't it…" She paused. "That whole thing with Adrian was ridiculous. Yes, your majesty, I will provide Adrian with the guidance he needs." She said in a very 'regal' voice.

"I think we need to celebrate." I told her.

"Movie night or shopping?" She asked.

"Hmm… I was thinking more, you, me, the boys, a bottle of Whiskey, bikinis and a hot tub." She smiled.

"Hey baby!" I called as I caught up with Adrian and laced my fingers through his. "You up for the hot tub tonight?"

"Definitely." He said, kissing me on the cheek.

I looked towards Eddie. "Mia and I have plans." He said. "And April has a date with Scott."

"Violet will be up for it. Adrian, when the people last put up the wards?" I asked him.

"Yesterday, I think. While you and Lissa were out."

"Alright. It's probably all right then. Most likely…" I thought about it. No way would I drink much tonight. Change of plans: I wanted to celebrate for Lissa by keeping Lissa safe. Violet would drink; I knew that, so I would be the only other guardian there. Those weren't numbers I was happy with.

We got home around noon, and Lissa decided to go outside and sit under the balcony. I made sandwiches and then changed into my splatter-paint bikini. I grabbed the plate and settled down in a chaise lounge to eat my lunch. She grabbed the other half of my sandwich and I looked at her. She wasn't at ease at all. "Ok, Liss, you're doing a good job of keeping me out of your head today. What's bothering you?"

She hesitated, taking a big bite and chewing. "I'm not sure that I'll be able to be a good queen. I'm only eighteen, Rose. Maybe I'll be twenty-one when she dies, twenty-two at most. I can't rule the Moroi world at that young an age!"

"Don't you remember, Lissa? She told you once that all of the Dragomir rulers have been great! You'll be great!"

"Rose, she followed up that comment with an insult." Lissa stated bluntly.

"That doesn't mean it isn't true. You'll be an amazing queen. Queen Vasilisa. You're ideas are new and modern. You can completely change the Moroi world. This is amazing."

"But I can't live up to my ancestors. I just got the right to vote with the Moroi and represent my family. I can't just start ruling them." She sighted.

"Lissa. Lissa look at me." She did. "You are awesome." I stated. "You can do this." I told her, and she smiled at my complete sincerity.

"You think?"

"I know."

A few hours later, Adrian, Lissa, Christian and Violet were all in the hot tub, completely drunk. Adrian didn't change much, which he never did. Lissa was a lot more random and completely reckless, as was Christian, and Violet acted… well… drunk. I was sitting on Adrian's lap, and everyone was laughing at something someone had said a second ago But all I could think about was how I was the only one capable of protecting three Moroi at the moment. Well, that, and how good Adrian kissing my neck felt. "Adrian! Stop!" I giggled.

"I'm gonna be the queen!" Lissa said, really loudly.

I smiled and chuckled. 'Yes, Lissa, you are."

"Don't you mean 'your majesty'?" Christian said, then laughed, as if he cracked himself up.

"OH MY GOD!" Violet suddenly said. "Christian is going to be our king!"

"We're screwed." I muttered, and Adrian laughed. He had on the green swim trunks I'd seen him wear before. Lissa still had on the same gold Bikini. Violet was wearing a strapless teal bikini that looked like it zipped up in the front. Christian had on red swim trunks.

Adrian's hand had drifted down from tracing patterns to tracing patterns on my hip, where the strap to my bathing suit bottom was. He toyed with the little bow, and I pushed his hand away slightly, turning on his lap so I was straddling him, but could see his face. "Not now." I said, kissing him quickly.

He frowned. "Why not?"

"There are other people in the hot tub." I pointed out.

"They don't have to see." He said, hitting the button that turned on the bubbles that turned all of the water white. His hand found the bow and continued to play with it, pulling on one of the free ends lightly before I hit his hand away playfully.

"Adrian!" I said, giggling.

"Rose!" He mimicked my tone, kissing me on the lips for a moment.

I'd never dreamed he'd be mine.

**Review please. Just a few words is fine!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next day I drove Lissa into the court so that she could talk to the queen further. I asked her if I could go do some shopping, and she told me to go have fun. I left her with the queen and the queen's guard.

I needed to shop because in three days the queen was holding a dinner, during which she would announce that Lissa was going to be the next ruler. Shopping helped me un-stress from the wedding planning, being a guardian, and the preparation for the tests I would have to take in order to be Lissa's guardian when she was queen. I had absolutely nothing to wear, so I walked quickly into the first store I saw.

The dresses on the walls were long and gaudy. Not at all like anything I was going to wear to this. Lissa had said she wanted me as a guest, not a guardian, but I wanted something that I could move in if I needed to. I quickly got away from that store, just to run into Mia and April.

"Hey!" Mia said. "No wonder we couldn't find you this morning." She smiled.

"Dress shopping?" April asked.

"Yeah. Got any suggestions that carry something mildly Rose-ish?"

"Let me show you a store…" Mia said, pulling me about a hundred feet before gesturing to a store. We all went inside, and I checked my watch. It was 9:45, and I was supposed to find Lissa at 10:30. I followed Mia to the back, where she started talking to a woman behind the counter in hushed voices. "Is Helen here?" Mia asked.

"Yes, but she has asked not to disturbed."

"Tell her Mia Rinaldi is here. She'll remember me." Mia said sarcastically. The woman left for a minute then came back.

"Right this way." She led us into a back storeroom. "You can sit here."

"Thank you." Mia said, a smug look of satisfaction on her face. April stayed standing in the corner.

"Mia?"

"Aunt Helen!" Mia exclaimed, hugging the blonde woman who walked in. She was pretty, blonde haired and blue eyed.

"You need yet another dress?"

" Well this one's for Rose." Mia said.

"Hey." I said. She nodded and sat down next to me, grabbing a sketchbook.

"What are you looking for sweetheart?" She asked.

"Something short." I said, and both Mia and April laughed. I shot them glares. "I want it to be tight, but not scandalously tight, and black."

She nodded and sketched out her ideas. "How's this?" She asked a moment later. She showed me the picture. The girl in the dress looked just like me. She was a great artist, and the dress was perfect. The black silk (which she noted in script near the model's feet) was very tight at the top, and then got slightly looser at the bottom, making a small bubble skirt around my mid thigh. It was strapless and there were a few sparkles lining the neck.

"This is great." I said, and she proceeded to explain when I could pick it up, etc. She took all of my measurements. She walked us all out into the store. "How much do I owe you?" I asked her, pulling out my wallet, but she shook her head.

"Its on me."

I thanked her because, hey, free dress. I grinned, and we all said our goodbyes.

"Thanks Mia." I said.

"Yeah, you owe me." She joked, and we split up so I could go pick up Lissa.

"Hey! I got a dress." I told her.

"Awesome."

"What'd you do with the queen?"

"I sat in on one of her meetings. She wants me to learn how things are done by following her around every morning." She grimaced, but I noticed happiness in her through the bond and smiled. I grabbed her coat and held it for her while we walked around court.

"You ready to head home?" Lissa asked me about an hour later.

"Yeah. Adrian's waiting for me."

We got back to the car and drove home. Lissa went to find something to do, and I went upstairs to me and Adrian's room. I was tired, ad I needed someone to relieve the stress and darkness that I had been feeling lately.

"Adrian?" I asked in a singsong voice. He came out of our bathroom, grinning. Our bedroom was big, and sort of split into two sides. All of Adrian's things were on one side, and my vanity, dresser and all of my stuff was on the other. There were about a hundred picture frames bunched together above the headboard, all of our favorite pictures were there. They varied in size from about a square inch, to a 5 by 7 print. The walls were pale blue, and most of the furniture was light colored wood.

"Hey." He said, wrapping his arms around my waist and interlocking his fingers so that I was encircled. He kissed me on the lips quickly. I glared, and he pressed his lips to mine again. What started off as an appeasement quickly heated up though, as things with me and Adrian usually did, and soon I was kicking off my shoes and pulling off my guardian jacket. He kissed down my neck, making me breathe heavily and then he stopped.

"What's up?" He asked.

I looked at him, confused. "Nothing… what's going on?"

"We haven't talked in a while."

"No we haven't." I said, lying down on the bed next to him. Our heads were both at the bottom of the bed for some reason, or feet perched up on the headboard, and one of my feet was in between his so the colors of our skin alternated, tan, pale, tan, pale. His fingers combed through my hair slowly as I told him about my week, and he told me about his. Adrian was like this sometimes. He was the guy who was great with the physical stuff, and was sarcastic, and just like me, and then there was the side of him that loved me for what only he could see in me and did things like this. I couldn't stop staring at one photo, the biggest print, of us together on field day, kissing and being sprayed from behind. It wasn't my favorite, it wasn't the one where I looked the best, or where he looked the best, but I loved that picture. I turned my head so I was looking at him before I rolled over and pinned him under me easily.

"I love you." I said.

"I love you too." He kissed my nose and smoothed my hair

I fell over to his side, and he put his arm around me as we studied the pictures. I knew right then that this was where I belonged.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry everyone! I fell off my bike on this biking trip I went on 2 days ago and I have these huge cuts everywhere and maybe something wrong w/ my knee, so I've been distracted. I saw the cutest thing on the beach the other day, and that's what inspired the beginning of the chapter. Well, here is the next chapter.**

**Songs of the Chapter: Empty Bottles and White Lies, both by Stacy Clark, and I Don't Wanna Dance, by Hey Monday.**

**Chapter 4**

Finally, it was the weekend, and everyone either didn't work on weekends, or had taken the two days off. We piled into the car while Eddie, Christian, and Adrian stuffed our bags into the trunk.

Eddie was driving, and Christian was sitting shotgun, which made me unhappy, but we needed guardians in the back of the van in case something happened, which most likely, it wouldn't. I'd traded my guardian uniform for a pair of skinny jeans and my 'Stop staring at my boobs' t-shirt. Adrian smirked, then sat down next to me in the back. Mia sat next to Adrian, and promptly put on her headphones and fell asleep.

Adrian placed his arm around me, and I rested my head on his chest, listening to his heart beat. He ran his fingers through my hair, separating the strands one by one, then letting them fall. I scanned the car, and saw that everyone except Mia was awake. I closed my eyes and let sleep come.

I dreamed it was just Adrian and I, all alone.

I woke up a little while later, and woke Adrian as well. Eddie was still driving, but they must have stopped and not woken us because everyone had food except for us. I tapped Lissa's shoulder and she handed me another bag of chips. "Thank you." I said, opening the bag and stuffing a few chips into my mouth. Lissa rolled her eyes then turned back towards the front. We arrived about thirty minutes later. I stepped out of the car and onto the beach.

Lissa stood next to me as we surveyed our surroundings. "Jersey Shore baby!" We both squealed and grabbed our bags. We got to our huge room a few minutes and I quickly claimed a room for Adrian and I. I changed into my green ruffle bikini and pulled on a pair of shorts over it. I went out to join Eddie, Violet, and April. "There aren't any wards, so we're going to have two people stay awake at night." Eddie was staying. "April and Violet, you'll be awake tonight while Rose and I sleep. Then tomorrow, while you two sleep, Rose and I will stay up."

April and Violet nodded, but it didn't look too happy about having to sleep when they could be at the beach. We had switched from our nocturnal schedule for the next two days, which were supposed to be very cloudy, so it wouldn't be a problem to have the Moroi outside as long as it wasn't for too long.

Lissa said she had a surprise for me, and everyone except me knew what was going on. This pissed me off, but also thrilled me. What could everyone be hiding? I tried to get it out of Adrian, but Lissa was sitting next to him, and she wouldn't let me ask (or seduce him). "Nope. I want this to be a surprise." Eddie was driving us towards the beach, and he parked next to a sign that said "Ocean Parasailing".

"Oh my God!" I squealed. I turned to Lissa. "You know I've always wanted to go!" She grinned and shrugged as I almost tackled her with a hug. I had always wanted to go parasailing but could never find the time to get to the beach to actually do it.

"I needed to repay you somehow." Lissa said, linking her arm through mine, and we walked towards the dock where the boat was waiting.

"For what?" I asked, tilting my head so I could see her face.

"I know you feel like you don't have options. Like this is the only life you could have." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I don't want you to feel like that. You should get to do what you want to do."

I hugged her tight. "Its not like that, but thank you so much.". Lissa knew I was being her friend now, not her guardian, though I scanned the area every few seconds. We boarded the boat and they showed us how on put on our harnesses. It was a little uncomfortable because my stake was strapped to the inside of my shorts. Lissa and I sat on the back of the boat, and they strapped us onto the parachute. Lissa grabbed my hand, and it occurred to me she was nervous. She smiled nervously at the camera Mia was holding, and I almost started laughing, but then I felt a tug on the back of my harness, and we were hovering above the floor for a moment, and then we starting going backwards… and up.

We were really far up. That's pretty much all I can say. We were really high. I let go of Lissa's hand when she seemed comfortable, and I lifted my feet up to the bar above us so I was hanging upside down, watching the buildings zoom past us. A hotel, a church, a restaurant, the wind blew us over the beach, and little kids below were amazed. They waved and jumped up and down, and I could see Lissa start to smile. We started to go down like a kite when you stop running, and Suddenly my head was dunked into the water. I came up coughing and sputtering, and Lissa was upside-down with me. I grabbed her hand, and we rode the rest of the way together, suspended in the air.

**ADRIAN'S POV**

Rose looked like she was really enjoying the parasailing. Mia, Christian and I were all sitting under an umbrella to shield us from the sun that was starting to come out from the clouds. Ugh. I needed a drink. I would have to wait until we got back to the hotel. It seemed too long. I hadn't had a drink for a while. Being around Rose seemed to make me not want to drink or smoke. Maybe it was her disgust of the clove cigarettes. I hadn't bought one since we got engaged.

"Adrian?" Christian asked.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you marrying Rose?"

I stared at him, confused. "Because I love her."

"Yeah, I get that, but in a couple years, aren't you going to be sick of her?"

"Would you get sick of Lissa?"

"Of course not, but Rose is different."

I rephrased the question. "Would Lissa every get tired of you?"

"No."

I raised my eyebrows. "You and Rose aren't all that different." He scoffed.

"You're both sarcastic." Mia said.

"You're both protective of those you love." I said. He glared at me, but knew I was right. Rose had told me about Spokane, and how he had helped get everyone out, and how he was protective of Lissa sometimes.

"And you don't let people in all that easily." Mia said.

"Alright, we're somewhat alike." Christian gave in. "But I would get tired of her."

"I'm not going to get tired of Rose." I assured him. "I can't stand the thought of life without her."

"I don't know how you do it." Christian sighed.

The parasailing guy, who's name it think was Luke, started to reel in the rop that was attached to Rose and Lissa's harnesses. They had been hanging upside-down, and they flipped over so they could get back on the boat. I wasn't going up, so Mia and Eddie went next, putting on their harnesses so they could get strapped onto the parachute.

Rose came and sat next to me, her clothes dripping wet with salt water. I smoothed her hair back, "Hey."

"Hey yourself." She responded.

"How was it?"

"So much more fun then I thought t was going to be. And it thought it was going to be pretty awesome… You should do it!"

"No way Rose."

"Please?" She fluttered her eyelashes at me, then kissed me cheek. "Please?"

I could feel my reaction to her, and I did not want that public. "Fine."

"Yay!"

And soon enough, we were flying.


	5. Chapter 5

**Happy Birthday to me! I'm one hundred and three! Well I will be in a couple days.**

**Songs of the Chapter (note these are just songs I listened to): Money Honey –State of Shock, E.T. –Katy Perry, Jump Then Fall –Taylor Swift**

**Chapter 5**

**Rose POV**

After we got back from parasailing we wanted to go to the beach. Our hotel had a private beach, but apparently, it was kind of nasty, so we decided to go to the public beach. I grabbed my towel, a beach chair, my ipod and speakers, and an umbrella. Lissa was in charge of food and magazines so she showed up in the lobby with a just backpack and a tote bag. I took a beach chair for her, and Adrian and Christian carried everything else. Mia and Eddie were staying behind, but Violet was coming to even out the guardian numbers. We found a good spot just left of the lifeguard stand and set up the umbrellas and chairs. I gave Violet my chair and spread out on my towel. It was cloudy, but not so much that I couldn't get a tan.

Lissa started to spray sunscreen all over herself. Moroi didn't tan well, they usually just burned, but she stayed under the umbrella. A few minutes later everyone was hot, and the clouds had formed a constant cover so almost no sun was shining.

"Can we please go in the water?" I asked, and everyone agreed. I took Lissa's hand and pulled her in after me. She was one of those people who walked really slowly into the water, and didn't get in. The water was cold and I saw Lissa shiver at first in her yellow bikini. Christian came up behind her, and dunked her, and she got really pissed at him and started this whole splash fight that spread to me, Adrian, and Violet. People were staring, but we were just written off as hormonal teenagers. I splashed Adrian, and as I was wiping my eyes from the salt, he ducked under the water and pulled me under with him. He pinned me against the sand and kissed my lips quickly then swam back up to the surface, which wasn't that far. I stood up, and I was about up to my chest. Adrian was much taller than me, so the water didn't go as high on him. I smiled up at him, and before I knew it, he had lifted me up slightly so we were at the same level and was kissing me. Like really kissing me. It was the kind of kiss that little kids shouldn't be able to see, the kind of kiss that made me want to just rip off his clothes right then and there. But of course, we couldn't.

I dove under a wave and came back up. Adrian was staring at me, nervous. "What? I asked him.

"Umm... there's a jellyfish…on your head…"

"GET IT OFF!" I swatted at my hair, and sure enough, there it was. Adrian's hands were on my shoulders and he pushed me under the water then knocked me on the head. I came up to the surface, glaring at him. "What was that for?"

"I love you?" He said, taking a step back. I jumped at him, my guardian training kicking in. soon I had his arms pinned behind him and he was gasping for breath. I hadn't broken a sweat. "I'm sorry! I love you."

"Good boy." I kissed him long and deep. "Oh God, Adrian." His mouth was on my neck, his fangs touching my skin ever so lightly, just grazing the area. My hair was covering my neck so no one could see a thing. His mouth moved up, but I grabbed his hand to stop him from moving on. He looked at me, the question written all over his face. 'Are you sure?' I nodded, and after making sure my neck was shielded from the beach, bent his head down and sank his fangs into my neck. Pain shot through me, and then the endorphins sank in. Euphoria.

**Lissa's POV**

I was standing outside Rose and Adrian's oom when I heard someone say something. "Adrian." Rose was moaning. This was followed by other, um, _sounds_. I decided I shouldn't interrupt, though that would have made Christian laugh if he had been with me. I guess they weren't coming to watch the movie with us. I walked back down the hall, my heels clicking on the marble floors. I opened my door to find Christian sitting on the couch, clicking through movies on the hotel's TV.

"There's nothing good to watch." He announced as I lay down next to him on the couch, my head in his lap.

There was a knock on the door, "Come in!" I called. Eddie opened the door and held it for Mia and Violet. "Where's April?" I asked.

"She's sitting outside Adrian and Rose's room. She didn't want to watch a movie so she got a book and is guarding their door since Rose can't do much while they're… you know…" Eddie said.

"While they're getting it on?" Christian offered.

"Yeah."

I felt bad for April, sitting there and having to listen to that. Through the bond I sent Rose a message._ Quiet down!_ I hoped she got my message, for April's sake.

"Ok, so the only acceptable movies on this thing are the Hangover, and yeah… that's pretty much it." I clicked order, and the movie started.

Ok, this movie was funny, but really odd. Christian's fingers were combing through my hair, which reminded me of sitting in the attic back at school. I spent most of the movie starting up at him, studying everything, his ice blue eyes, the way that his lips curved up when he laughed, and the way that every few minutes he would look down at me, and we would both smile.

He bent down so he could whisper to me, "Do you want to get married?"

I stared at him in shock. "Are you proposing?"

"Just asking. I don't have a ring yet."

I stretched up so I could kiss him. "Definitely."

He grinned and straightened back up. I don't know when I fell asleep, but I did, and Christian picked me up and laid me in bed. "Goodnight baby." He said, kissing me on the forehead.

"Goodnight." I managed to say. "I love you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Songs of the chapter: Welcome to the World –Kevin Rudolf, Young Forever –Jay-Z, Firework –Katy Perry**

**Chapter 6**

**Rose POV**

We returned from the beach that next day, and Lissa and I were having one of those half conversations we sometimes had in the car.

_He asked me if I wanted to marry him._

"Really?" I whispered, looking at her ring finger, nothing.

_He didn't have a ring. It wasn't really a proposal… Just a question._

"Well it's a step in the right direction." I grinned. "Congrats."

_Thanks. Sounded like you and Adrian had a good night. _She asked_. You use protection? _She added jokingly.

"Nope. But it was fun."

She groaned. _Really Rose? Now I have a bad mental picture of you having 'fun'_

"Sorry." She grabbed her iPod, and handed me a headphone. The Bad Touch by Bloodhound Gang started to play, and she grinned.

I shook my head in exasperation. _What am I going to do with you? _

"Take me parasailing again."** (Sorry for the interruption, but my friend actually said this to me, only it was that and give me money…)**

_Any time._

**Lissa's POV**

We got back to our house a few hours later, and Rose and I almost immediately got into her car (more like her pride and joy) and sped off towards The Court. We had to pick up her dress first, then go to the drug store, and then pick up my dress. The royal dinner was this Friday and we had to do some more of Rose's wedding planning. She was getting married in the spring, so we had all winter to work on it as well.

We stopped by to pick up her dress and the woman who had made it insisted she try it on there so that she could make sure it was perfect. Rose went into a back room to change, then came out in a black dress. The top was a tight corset top and accentuated her curves. It had a bubble skirt that ended around her mid-thigh. She twirled in it, and I could see her wearing this to the royal dinner, which I had told the queen Rose would be a guest not a guardian.

She thanked the woman and we walked towards where the Queen lived, Rose carrying the garment bag slung over her shoulder. One of the queen's guardians announced us and I gestured for Rose to sit, but she stayed standing, going to stand by the door like a normal guardian. The queen wasn't sitting; she was in the back corner looking through a rack of dresses. I took off my jacket and dropped my purse on a chair and walked over to the queen. "Good afternoon your majesty."

"Ah, Vasilisa." She touched my shoulder, shooting a glance at Rose. Rose had her guardian face on, seeing but not seeing, caring but not caring. I hated that face, she lost all of the emotion that I loved about her. She wasn't Rose. She was just one of the black jackets. The queen went on. "I picked out several of the dresses we talked about in your size."

I fingered my favorite of the dresses. "They're beautiful your majesty."

"Yes. Choose one and try it on." I chose my favorite, and slid behind the changing screen someone had setup. I hung my clothes and slipped into the dress. I studied myself in the mirror. The dress was beautiful ivory lace. It clung to my body at the top, then flowed out to my knees at the bottom. It was strapless and had a sweetheart neckline. It was simple but beautiful. I had brought my favorite pair of heels with me specifically for this dress and I slipped them on. I walked out from behind the curtain. Rose's face wavered a little bit, then she gave it up, ginning one of her million-dollar smiles.

_You like?_

She nodded. "You look great." She said softly.

The queen looked startled at her words, not knowing I had spoken to her. "I think this is the dress for you."

"Thank you your majesty." I went to change, but she stopped me.

"I just want to see how it will go with something." She walked over to a guardian, who handed her a package. She unwrapped it, then pulled out a small tiara. My eyebrows rose. Was I supposed to wear that? It was fringed with diamonds that I didn't doubt were real. It reminded me of the Crown Jewels in England. It was gorgeous, and as the queen placed it on my head, I could see Rose grinning at me, and all of the other guardians staring at me. The reality of it hit. I'd be the queen soon.

**Rose's POV**

A little less than a week passed, and tonight was my night off (as well as Eddie's), and I was spending it with Adrian, Lissa, Eddie, Mia, Violet, April, and Christian.

We were going to this club in the court. They had guardians there as well as the wards around us, so it was alright for the guardians to drink. I was helping Lissa get ready, having already slipped on a tightly fitted purple tube dress and black stilettos. Lissa was going for a more modest look, with a flowing white cocktail dress and white pumps. I grabbed her hand and pulled her downstairs where Adrian, Christian and Eddie were already waiting. I swear, Adrian could not get his eyes off me. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close, whispering in my ear, "Am I getting lucky tonight?"

I hit my sex-craving fiancée playfully, then said. "Maybe."

Violet, April, and Mia all came downstairs a few minutes later al looking great. "Scott and Luke are meeting us there." Violet informed us, and then we all headed to the garage. We were taking two cars there, so Adrian, Lissa, Christian, and I all got into Lissa's convertible, but we put the top up, and everyone else got into another car. Adrian drove us to the court, where we pulled up in front of the club.

It was darker inside, but my eyes adjusted easily. Adrian steered me towards the bar and ordered us drinks. Lissa and Christian come up next to us, everyone else had dispersed. I took a sip of some really strong type of alcohol, and figured Adrian knew what he was doing, and I trusted him. I drank the whole thing quickly, and we ordered a round of shots. Really, when I go drunk, I didn't know when to stop. After several more drinks, I pulled Adrian onto the dance floor, and we danced.

The way it felt to have my hips grinding against Adrian was mind-blowing in a sensual way. His hands lay on my hips, and I had lifted my hands to wrap around his neck. The friction between us was agonizing, and all I wanted was for this to never end. I quickly scanned the room, and saw Violet, April, Scott and Luke all dancing. Eddie and Mia were drinking, and I couldn't seem to find Lissa and Christian. I opened my mind up to her to feel her emotions. It was hard to sort hers out from mine, and then I realized they were the same. I got out of her head as fast as I could.

Adrian pulled me from the dance floor, and I could tell how drunk I was by the way I couldn't walk in a straight line. He was holding on to me, and I tried to be strong, pushing his arm off and walking on my own, but I almost keeled over. "No one knows about this." I said, and he grinned at me and nodded. I don't know how we got there, but we were in a hotel room.

"I reserved this just in case." He admitted.

"Think you were gonna get lucky?"

"Am I?" He asked.

"You most definitely are." I responded. He picked me up and carried me to the bed, setting me down an then crawling over me. He pulled off my dress, leaving me in just the lace strapless bra and thong I had chosen to wear. I unbuttoned his shirt, pushing it down his arms as his mouth met mine, tongues dancing together as I arched my back so I could get closer to him. His jeans were starting to annoy me, so I unbuttoned them and pulled them off.

"I love you Rose."

"I love you too.

**So for those of you who wanted action, there you go. **

**Love, BCWUW4**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry this chapter sucks. It's a filler. :(**

**Songs of the Chapter: Hanging by a Moment –Lifehouse**

**Chapter 7**

I woke up nauseous. Adrian wasn't awake yet, honestly that man slept so much. I made my way to the bathroom, and passed Lissa and Christian who were passed out on the couch. I hadn't heard them come in… well I hadn't been listening.

I found the bathroom, just in time to throw up. Ugh. I had a pounding headache and I was so tired. It was the worst hangover I'd had in a while, so I went and practically fell back into bed. I fell asleep again next to Adrian.

I woke up again a few hours later, and looked at the time. It was definitely time to get up. The clock read 12 o'clock. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and searched the room for my clothes. I bent down to pick up my bra and underwear, and when I turned, and saw that Adrian was watching me.

"You pervert." I pulled on my underwear and strapped on my bra.

"Its not perverted if you're engaged."

I sighed, and straddled his torso, resting my hands on his chest. "Do you want kids?" I asked.

He stared at me. "Do you?"

"I can't bring a kid into this world. At least not yet."

"Good."

"Then we have to start using protection."

"The pill?"

"I'm on the pill. I just forget sometimes."

"Fine. Next time we will."

"Thank you." I kissed him quickly. Well I intended to quickly. He grabbed me aand held me close to him, prolonging our kiss. I smiled into his lips. "We need to get dressed." I got up, much to his dismay, I noticed, and pulled on my dress. He zipped the back for me, and then he got dressed. I grabbed my shoes and threw them by the door to the hotel room.

I shook Lissa and then Christian to wake them up, and searched the rest of the room for anyone else. They apparently had gone home.

Lissa's shirt rode up when she stood up, showing some of a tattoo.

"Liss… When did you get a tattoo?"

"I don't have a tattoo." She said, but rubbed her lower back. "Ow." I walked over to her and pulled up her shirt a little so I could see the rest of it. 'Christian' was written in script right above the waistline of her pants. (I still didn't know how she'd gotten clothes). There were flames around the C.

"Yes you do." I showed her in the mirror in the bathroom.

"Shit." She cursed. And Lissa hardly ever cursed. "CHRISTIAN!"

He peeked his head in. "Hot." Was all he said about the tattoo.

"Christian what the hell is this?"

"I don't know. I'm trying to remember. Um… we were dancing, then you said something about some guy with a tattoo, then we went and got tattoos."

"We?"

"Umm… yeah." He lifted the sleeve of his shirt to show off the new 'Vasilisa' tattoo.

I stifled a laugh. She glared at me. "Sorry. But its kind of funny. You two go and get tattoos… do something more productive. Adrian and I-"

"I don't want to hear what you and Adrian did." Lissa said, she was pissed, and I assumed it was because of the tattoo, but I could sense some darkness in her.

"Send it to me."

"What?" I nodded. "Oh." She grabbed my arm and sent the darkness into me. It wasn't too much, but now I was in a horrible mood.

I could feel how bad Lissa felt about sending the darkness into me, but she hated the way it made her act, and she knew I could get rid of it easier than her.

I stalked off to find Adrian or someone else to make me feel better. They were still yelling at each other.

Oh my god this was horrible. I wanted to kill that bartender. My head was pounding, land Lissa's darkness only made it worse. Someone had once told me that I could turn one emotion into another, channel the anger into another emotion, and I'd pretty much mastered channeling it into lust. I needed to figure out how to turn it inot sadness or something else so I could get along without Adrian somewhat. But that would only happen a long time in the future.

I collapsed on the couch next to Adrian. He sensed the darkness in my aura, and without taking his eyes off the screen, he grabbed my hand and healed half away. I was feeling better, but not great.

I lunged at him and pinned him under me easily, and he grinned as mischievous grin.

"I didn't finish with you last night." I said, and we were off to the bedroom.

We returned to the house a few hours later and found Violet and April trying to sleep off their hangover. Luke and Scott were in the kitchen, and were making something that didn't smell pleasant.

"They told us to do anything that will get rid of their hangover." Luke explained.

"So hello grandma's instant un-hangover." Scott added.

I raised my eyebrows.

"Ok, so I made it up, but don't tell them. I just threw all the stuff you had together." They grinned.

I scoffed. "Good luck." I said, and they shrugged.

"Who knows, maybe it'll work." Luke said.

I knew it didn't a few minutes later when I was startled by Violets screams of, "YOU IDIOT!" and "WHAT THE HELL?"

I almost cracked up when this was followed by April saying, "Vi, did you really have to throw it in his face?"

"I guess I'm on cleanup." Lissa said, rising from her chair where we were all sitting to go heal Scott's face, which was most likely covered in 'Grandma's Recipe' and blood form the glass.

I suddenly remembered today's date. I checked my phone to make sure. "LISSA!" I screamed. "The royal dinner!" It started at 7:00, and it was currently 6:15. I grabbed Adrian and Pulled him to our room, where we showered and I started on my hair, which I blow dried quickly and styled into a messy up-do that ended up looking great. I grabbed my dress and slipped it on, pulling on my red heels. I grabbed my compact and foundation and slipped them into my clutch which already held mascara and red lipstick. I ran through our room, trying to find the strap for my stake to be on the inside of my leg. I found it under the bed, for whatever reason, and strapped it on, sliding my stake into it and grabbing a knife to go with it. Adrian walked in as I was securing the knife.

"You clean up nice." I commented on his black dress pants, red silk shirt, and black jacket. We sure were going to stick out in a group of stuffy royals.

"Thanks."

"This is the part where you say 'Rose you look painstakingly beautiful.'"

"It goes without saying."

"Good answer." I kissed his cheek as I ran down the hall to Lissa's room to find her putting on her earrings, her hair falling in loose curls around her face. I grabbed the tiara that a guardian had delivered a few days earlier and moved her hair so I could place it on her head. I did, and then styled her hair around it while she put on her makeup.

"You look great." She commented.

"I was going for the more theatrical look." She grinned, then stared to say something else. But I knew. "I know I'm going to stick out."

We all got into the car, Violet and April and Eddie all dressed in their guardian uniforms (Lissa could only pull so many strings). I took the passenger sat for the mirror and started to put on my foundation. "Skip it." Lissa said, "You don't need it." She was always honest, so I smiled and put it away. I put on my eye shadow and mascara, then put on the red lipstick. I smiled at myself in the mirror. I'm definitely going to stick out. Like Tatiana's newly sore thumb.


	8. Chapter 8

**UGH SCHOOL STARTS SOON : (**

**Songs of the chapter: Collide –Howie day, Brighter- Paramore, Six Feet under the stars – All time low, Airplanes –B.o.b. and haley Williams (for some reason I love this song so much!)**

**And greetings from atop the triceratops.**

**Chapter 8**

"You know what that dress makes me want to do?" Adrian asked.

"What?"

"Push for nudity."

"And that's because of the dress?"

"Ok, maybe not…" He said, grinning as he ran his hand across my hip. The doors to the elevator opened and we ran down the hall.

We made it just in time, we stood in front of our chairs like everyone else. There were about ten large round tables, each set with expensive-looking china and crystal glasses.

The double doors opened then, and Queen Tatiana walked in. We all sank to our knees/ She gestured for us to sit, and she started her speech.

"In accordance with tradition and law, I must pick one person from another family who I believe would be the best for my position in the future. I have thought about this very much, weighing the pro's and con's of every candidate. So if you would all raise your glasses," She said, and it reached down for mine, which was already filled with champagne, "I would like to announce the heir to the throne." She paused dramatically. "Vasilisa Dragomir."

The royals all clapped, and I did as well, grinning as the doors opened and Lissa stepped through, and sat down between the queen and Christian. We were sitting at the same table as them because I was with Adrian, but the tables were big enough for about twenty, and were pretty far from Lissa and Christian. The other princes and princesses were there, along with some of their guests.

I was sitting next to some Dashkov girl, the guest of the prince. There was polite conversation for a few minutes, then someone asked Lissa a question I didn't think she had expected to answer the way she did.

"So Vasilisa," Princess Ozera started, "What do you plan to do as queen?" I could detect a hint of jealousy in her voice; obviously _she_ wanted to be in power.

"Well I plan to fix a few things that aren't in order."

Lissa started to say something else, but Prince Dashkov asked, "Like what?"

"Well…" Lissa said, nervous about everyone's reactions to what she had to say. "I plan to support the movement to give the Dhampirs a say in our government."

I grinned, and Adrian squeezed my hand under the table. Lissa took a sip of her water, readying herself for the onslaught of criticism that she expected. Not everyone was against her. Sure, most of the people who agreed with her weren't on the council, but some of them were. Princess Conta, The Lazar prince, The Badica princess and the Tarus prince all agreed with Lissa (Or didn't seem to have an opinion and would be easily swayed). The other council members had VERY strong opinions, and for a moment, the table was filled with exclamations of, "What is she thinking!" and "Too young to rule." Followed by scoffs and some glares.

Lissa wasn't flustered at all, she summoned up her courage and started explaining herself. "Us Moroi have complete control over everything, and it doesn't seem fair that the Dhampirs, the people who protect us, do not have any represent in our government. I feel we should elect one Dhampir, if not more, to the council so that there is someone to vote and represent the best interest of their race. We can't make decisions and expect them to follow if we do not give them a fair vote." Lissa wasn't using compulsion, but her natural charsma seemed to have a huge affect on everyone. Then she did something that I did _not_ like. "Right Rose?" She asked.

Everyone turned their gazes on me. Oh god. _Clear your head Rose, and just tell them what you think._

"Lissa-Princess Dragomir is right." I corrected myself, "My race needs a say in what happens in our government. Many laws have passed that affect us and we have no way to stop them from passing. I personally feel that we've been pushed around by the Moroi for far too long, and it's time for a change. Lissa's going to be a great queen whatever she does, and she's right about this." I took a sip of my water, and Lissa started talking again. What I thought was good was that the queen was watching her approvingly, watching her talk to the council and other royals in a way that made her seem grown up and sophisticated, and she embodied change itself, changing opinions of some, and earning the respect of others as she rationally and respectfully argued for her side of the issue. Some of the others got involved too, talking and agreeing with her.

I turned to Adrian, who really looked like he wanted a drink. I called a waiter over and got him one, and he shot me a grateful look. "So Lord Ivashkov, when is this thing over?" I whispered.

"Well, Gaurdian Hathaway, after this we all stand and talk for a while, but we can't leave, so basically in about an hour."

I groaned. And thanked the water when he dropped off Adrian's drink. I took a big sip then handed it to him. "Thanks." He said, brushing a piece of hair out of my face.

I could feel Lissa was getting a little on edge, so I tried to absorb some of those feelings. I did, and she shot me a smile, realizing what I had done. I could do that sometimes, but only in small amounts. But now I was doubting myself, those feelings building inside me.

"Adrian?"

"Yes, love?"

"Why weren't you mad at me when you hear Dimitri kissed me. I mean, I stopped it, but not for a minute."

"Because I love you Rose, and nothing can make me stop loving you. I might get confused once in a while but I'll always love you."

I smiled and kissed his cheek. No one was paying any attention to us, well except Lissa every once in a while, so no one noticed.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because sometimes a girl needs to be told she's loved."

He took my hand again, running his fingers over my engagement ring. The queen stood, and so did everyone else, and then started the 'standing and talking' portion of the event. Royals were swarming around Lissa, wanting to get in good with the soon to be queen.

Adrian, Christian and I all stood a little way off, watching the royals listening to her talk, and Lissa sent me a message. _Hey Rose, I need you!_

I walked over to her quickly, hoping nothing was wrong.

"This is my best friend and guardian, Rose Hathaway." She introduced me, and then asked, "Rose, will you tell them what you think about giving Dhampirs a say in the government?"

I repeated what I said from earlier, then stayed with her, giving her verbal, and moral support. Slowly, one by one, the guests left, until it was just me, Lissa, Christian, Adrian, the queen and a bunch of guardians. "Rose?" The queen asked. "Because me choosing Vasilisa as my heir is now public, she needs more guardians. You will be on her guard, of course, as well as Michael, Chase, and Derek. Three of the guardians stepped forward. Michael was tall, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. His face was perfect for a guardian, showing nothing. He was about thirty. The next guardian introduced himself as Chase. He was good looking. Not as hot as Adrian, or even as hot as I had found Dimiti to be once upon a time. He was of average height, about a year or two older than me, and had light blonde hair. He reminded me of Lissa in a way. That was good. They could pass as siblings. Derek didn't have the guardian face down at all, but he seemed like a good fighter and a nice guy. "You will be their leader, Rose. Direct them as you will." She left with her guardians, and I pulled Adrian along with me as we exited and walked to the car.

When we got home I set Derek and Chase up in the extra bedroom and pulled out the couch in the living room for Michael to sleep on. (though he was supposed to be awake tonight) "We'll get you some better accommodations soon." I changed into my pajamas and then headed down to the kitchen. Because it was a royal dinner, the portions were tiny, so I was hungry. I found a box of cereal, poured it into a bowl and sat on the counter to eat it. Chase entered, and I shwed him where the glasses were so he could get some water. He stood across from me, leaning on the opposite counter.

"Chase?"

"Yeah."

"You a good fighter?"

"I'd like to say so."

"We're going to the court gym tomorrow. I want to see what you boys can do." I dropped my bowl in the sink, washed it out, then put it in the dishwasher. As I walked past him, If felt his hand trace my hip. I turned to glare at him, but he had already walked away.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I woke up the next morning and changed into a black sports bra and white athletic shorts. I grabbed my sweatshirt and wrote a quick note to Adrian on a post-it. I stuck it to his forehead (honestly he can sleep through anything) and pulled my sweatshirt over my head, grabbing my phone and shoes. Once I got downstairs I knocked on Chase and Derek's door. "Get up." I said, and then walked towards the living room and kitchen. Michael was awake, pacing the long hallway with a book in his hands. "We're going to the gym." I informed him, and he walked off towards the bathroom after giving me a quick nod. He was definitely the quiet type. I quickly opened April and Violet's door and told a sleepy April we were leaving. She followed me into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee. Grabbing a set of keys, I slipped my engagement ring off my finger and placed it in the plate. I mean really, a diamond and two emeralds would hurt if I punched someone, and I fully intended on testing these new guardians to see if they were worthy to guard the soon-to-be queen, and my best friend.

"Morning." Derek said as he walked into the kitchen, grabbing a yogurt. I directed him to a spoon.

"Good morning." I replied.

"Hey." Michael said as he came into the kitchen. He, like me, apparently didn't like to eat before going to the gym.

"Where's Chase?"

"In the shower." I had learned that Chase and Derek had been friends for a long time, and had met Michael shortly before I had.

I sighed and jumped up onto a stool. "How long's he gonna be?" I asked.

"Not long at all." Chase said, strolling in.

"Its been long enough." I said, standing up and opeing the door to the garage. I got into the drivers seat and Chase sat next to me. Great.

I stepped on the gas, getting to court in record time. I got out of the car and lead the way to the gym, signing us in for a private room. Once we got there I stretched and re=tied my shoes, making sure they were tight. I pulled off my sweatshirt, and took a sip of water.

"Alright. Who's first?"

And of course, Chase volunteered.

"You know what? How about all of you come at me at the same time." I didn't doubt they were good, just not Rose Hathaway good.

I stood in the center of the mat, and they came at me. They landed a few kicks, and a few punches, and surprisingly, I took down Michael first (I had expected Derek). I staked him with my invisible stake, and he backed off. Chase and Derek were left. I punched Chase in the jaw, sending him back, and pinned Derek, 'staking' him. Just me and Chase were left. I didn't feel any pain, everything in my mind were possible ways to 'stake' him. As I was getting up from staking Derek, Chase pinned me down, his teeth coming down near my neck, but I mustered up my strength and flipped us over, my hands pinning him down and my legs stradelling his torso. I felt déjà vu, remembering when I had been in this situation with Dimitri. I staked Chase, then stood up, getting as far from him as possible. He got up and winked at me. Ugh. Guys like him were revolting. I adverted my gaze to Michael and Derek, who were praising me.

"You guys are good."

"Not as good as you." Derek said, grabbing a water bottle and taking a large gulp.

"Aw, you're making me blush!" I joked, and he flashed me a grin. I was beginning to like Derek.

Later that day I found myself at home, looking at wedding venues with Lissa. We chose a few to look at in person, one of them being a country club just outside to the closest town. I wasn;t convinced, but Lissa said it wouldn't hurt to look. I still wanted that beach wedding, but because we were close, I went along with her.

The place was fancy, with a large crystal chandelier and a big dining room. It was too preppy for me though, because right outside the window was the golf course. We left and headed back to court. Lissa had also reserved a private jet so we could get to the shore quickly. Once we got there, I knew we had found the place. It was a small pavilion on the beach. The sand was pristine and I could imagine my wedding there. There was also a very nice place for the reception a few blocks away.

"I think this is it Liss." I said. Michael and Derek had come with us, and we had left Chase (thank god.) in his room at home.

We sat at a small resteraunt and were ordering when the nausea overcame me. It was late, and the sun had almost set. I tensed, and shot a pointed look at the others. "We have to leave. Like, now." Lissa threw some money on the table and we were out the door in seconds, I was with Lissa, and Michael and Derek following close behind.

_Rose I'm scared._ Lissa said through the bond as we walked through the alley tat would get us the car the fastest. "It's fine. We just might have to drive home." No way was I taking the risk of the airport. My nausea was strong, and I could feel that there was more than one Strigoi. Maybe even five. My stake was out in one hand, and a gun in the other. Lissa clung to my arm that was holding the stake.

We continued down the lley, which was probably a bad idea, but we were almost there. "Derek." I said, and I handed Lissa off to him. I brushed hair out of her face then turned and ran down the alley. There were three Strigoi lurking in the shadows of the parking lot. I shot off two bullets, hitting two of them, and they flinched in pain. Within a few seconds I had staked one, a young one, but the other two were old. I was taking on both of them when I called to The other guardians. "Go! Get in the car!" One of the Strigoi tackeled me and somewhere in the chaos I heard Lissa scream.

"Rose! ROSE!"

I staked the Strigoi on top of me but was caught by surprise by the last one. The last Strigoi was smart, not letting me get a clear shot at his heart. With ease, he knocked me against the wall and I hit my head. Hard. I got up and staggered towards him, I got in a couple good punches, thenthe Strigoi began to flee, for whatever reason, but not before it hit me on the head again. Hard. I fell.

"Get her in the car! Get her our of here." Were my last words. I seriously thought I was dead. But of course, I was Rose Hathaway, and I had backup.


	10. Chapter 10

Ok, so I have been horrible to you lately. I'm so sorry :( I really don't have an excuse for you, but I just started a new year at a new school. So yeah, I haven't written in a while, and you people fully deserve to hate me. Please keep reading my storied though, and review so I will get the email alerts and update faster. Special shout out to SassYNoles, for adding this to their favorite stories and reminding me that people actually read out there. Anyway, on with the chapter. So everyone take a chance this holiday season. I did, and it certainly worked out :) hehe.

Songs: Rocketeer –Far East Movement, Yeah 3X- Chris Brown, Tonight I'm Loving You- Enrique Iglesias, I Just Wanna Run –The Downtown Fiction

PS: I changed the summary because I changed where the story is going :)

**Chapter 10**

I woke up in my bed with Lissa hovering over me. "Oh thank god." She breathed, sighing as she sat down next to me.

"Wha-What happened?"

"I'd like to ask you that question." I sat up and moved my hair from my neck, shocked to feel bite marks all over it.

"I had Scott and Luke tailing us. I had a bad feeling about all of this." I collapsed back onto my pillow, too tired to sit up for too long.

"No wonder. I didn't see who it was; they got me in the car and took off. I was so scared."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? I'm sorry, you're the one who almost died from blood loss. Apparently before Luke and Scott got there they were feeding off of you."

I shuddered, pulling my hair in front of the scars. Lissa got up and opened the door right as Adrian was about to knock. She left the room after a quick hug, leaving me and Adrian to talk.

"I know where we're getting married." I said, sighing as he wrapped his arms around me.

"Really?"

I rethought this. "No. Not after what happened."

"That's what I thought." He pulled my hair away from my scars, examining the damage. "Four of them." He muttered, scowling.

I pulled his hand away. "It's fine." I smiled. "I'm tired. I really have to go to sleep."

"Go ahead." He said, shifting so I could lay down better.

He held me until I fell asleep. When I did, I was with Adrian in a spirit dream.

I was wearing a dress, short and white, one I'd seen in a store at the mall once. I knew it was expensive, and designer. Adrian was in a dress shirt and black jeans, his hair messed to perfection, And we were on a beach. There was a small pavilion with a white roof and wooden flooring. The waves almost reached it, but always stopped short, creating a beautiful image. "Adrian?" I asked, "Is this place real?"

"Yes. It's a moroi island, off the coast of Hawaii."

"The water's so blue." I said, running my hand through the waves.

"You get sappy sometimes." Adrian commented, and I turned around towards him, hitting him in the arm.

"You should see me in practice. Nothing sappy about kicking people's asses."

"Nothing at all." He replied, kissing me on the lips.

"Adrian, this is it."

"I know." I already put down the deposit.

I woke up to Lissa shaking me.

"Rose. Rose!"

"Yeah?" I said, groggy.

"There's been an attack." I was out of bed in a second, those words all to fermiliar to me. "At court. I don't know who's alive and who's dead, but April and Violet were freaking out this morning, apparently Scott's been hurt." She told me all the information she knew as I practically flew around the room, pulling on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, ruffling through my bag to find my stake and knife.

"Wha-whats going on?" Adrian said, finally sitting up.

"Attack." I said, and then I caught myself. I couldn't leave Lissa at a time like this. What if the Strigoi came here? I decided the living room was the most safe, the least amount of windows, and started to move everyone there. April and Violet were on their phones, trying to get as much information as possible, death count, number of guardians, anything that would help them find out about Scott or help us defend ourselves.

"Rose." April said. "You may want to talk to John."

I took the phone from her and began to pace the perimeter. "Do you have any numbers? Amount of Strigoi? How many are dead? What about the amount of guardians. How many were on the queen?"

John stopped me. "I don't know the court's in lockdown. I'm stationed guarding a few moroi families. But Rose that's not what's important. Rose, the attack wasn't by just Strigoi."

I stopped dead in my tracks. I knew Strigoi sometimes were helped hy humans, but from his voice, I doubted that was the case. "Humans?" I asked to verify.

"Moroi." Was his answer. Not one I wanted to hear.

My mind was spinning. How could Moroi cross over? Were they planning on turning? How were they not scared that they would be killed by the Strigoi? Were they powerful spirit users compelling the Strigoi? Were the Strigoi compelling them? Were they getting along? What was their goal? How were they planning on attaining it?

"Rose, I think the queen is dead." John informed me. Ok, so maybe their goal was to kill the queen. Were they supporters of Lissa? Did they want to corrupt the government? Were they going to kill Lissa too?

"ROSE!" Lissa yelled. My head whipped around to look at her. "Calm down. You're getting carried away."

I took a deep breath and asked John a couple more questions. He ended the call when there was a knock on his door. I was worried for him. I didn't even know the guy, but I was scared. Was there anyone we could trust?

"Lissa." I started. "Listen to me, don't freak out." She stayed perfectly still. "The people who attacked court weren't only Strigoi."

"What do you mean?"

"Moroi, Lissa, some moroi were with them."

"They captured moroi?" Lissa's mind was spinning with the same questions mine had earlier, but she was refusing to accept the fact she knew was true.

"No. They were helping them"

And, just like I told her not to, she started to freak out. Christian was by her side, rubbing her shoulders and holding her close. "How am I supposed to govern the moroi when there is a band of them helping the Strigoi? I mean, I have a while to prepare, but still."

I didn't tell her she didn't have a while. The queen was most likely dead, and she was going to have to start to rule as soon as the court was safe. I would bet the royals would start to plan her coronation tomorrow.

**Srry for the short chapter, but I wanted to get it to you ASAP. So another one will be coming to you soon!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Lets Fly.**

**I was very sad about last chapter. Only like, two reviews. I KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU READ THIS! Just a friendly reminder, reviews make me update faster.**

**Signing out until after the holidays,**

**Love Always,**

**Bri**

**Chapter 11**

When does your body begin to react to information you've received? When does it tell your mind you can't move, can't breathe, can't think?

I watched Lissa sit on that couch, contemplating what was to come for her. I couldn't tell if she was breathing, she wasn't moving at all. The only thing that had changed in the three minutes since I had delivered the news to her was her face. It was perfectly still now, frozen in worry. "Lissa," I said, kneeling in front of her. "We've faced worse. We can do-"

_I'm pregnant._ She thought, stunning me into silence for a few seconds.

"We can do this Liss." I assured her.

_I'm not so sure. Rose, we've gotten lucky so far, maybe this is it. _

"That doesn't matter. We're the perfect team. I will get you out of here." The last sentence game out a fierce whisper. I wasn't sure if I was convincing her or me. "That's my job, remember?"

She nodded, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

I turned to Violet and April, who had joined us. "We're going to split up. Where are Derek, Chase, Michael, Mia and Eddie?"

April went to get him while I told Violet about the plan. "You, Adrian, Eddie, April, Christian, Michael and Mia will go to the Academy. It's the safest place I know of other than court. I'll take Lissa, Chase, and Derek to Hawaii." I looked at Adrian, giving him a sad smile. "It's the safest way. Lissa will need three guardians and then everyone else will have one. "

I sent the Moroi, each with a guardian, to go get their things. I went along with Adrian so that I could say goodbye.

"I'm coming with you and Lissa." He said as soon as we closed the door.

I shook my head. "No. This is the safest way. Lissa is my priority here, Adrian, you know that."

"Yes, but sometimes you need to put others first."

"Ever think about why we aren't supposed to be together?"

"It's just not done."

"Its because of this situation. I'm supposed to always put my charge first, her life before my life. They come first, especially Lissa." I lowered my voice. "Your aunt is dead. If these people are going for royals, she'll be targeted next."His eyes widened, but he finally seemed to understand. "I will call to tell you when it is safe to come. Lissa needs me. Pack your things, we're leaving soon."

While he packed his bag, I grabbed my backpack and put in a few pairs of jeans and a couple t-shirts. The t-shirts would fit Lissa, and I had told her not to pack a bag, but just to grab clothes to put in mine. In the outside pocket, I shoved two more stakes, a few knives, and tucked my gun into my belt. Adrian was done with his bag, so we went down to the kitchen. I grabbed granola bars, apples, and cash and stuffed them into the backpack.

Once everyone was downstairs, I put all of the clothes for my group in my bag, and decided to do something that pained me. I found a box, slipped off my ring, and closed the lid. I pulled Adrian aside and handed him it. He looked confused, so I elaborated. "I can't lose it. I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I love you."

"I love you too." I kissed him quickly on the lips, but be wrapped his arms around me and wouldn't let me leave.

"You need to promise me something." Adrian said, staring straight into my eyes.

"What?"

"Promise me you'll come back alive."

"Sure. Adrian you know me. I can get out of anything."

"You come back, we'll get married, and then I want kids."

I grinned, kissed him, and turned to leave. I grabbed my backpack and took Lissa's hand.

"I'm driving."

"Google Maps is so stupid." Chase commented as I sped down the highway. "It's telling me we should kayak across the pacific ocean and that we'll still make it within three days."

I laughed. "Not gonna happen."

"How are we planning on getting there. You aren't going to risk an airport are you?"

"We have to."

"Well we could take a ship."

"Yes, a cruise ship is a lot safer." I said sarcastically.

"Just a suggestion."

"How you doing, Lissa?" I asked her.

"I'm a little nauseous." She replied as I cut through three lanes of traffic and got off an exit, trying to lose any tails we might have.

"Sorry. We'll be getting a new car soon. You can go to the bathroom then."

"I hope." She replied, and I switched on the radio to my favorite station.

"Derek, Chase, you should sleep, Liss and I have it for a while." They listened to me and fell asleep.

"How long have you known?" I asked Lissa.

"Just two weeks."

"Are you happy about it?"

"Well that depends how you look at it. Yes, I want kids, I love big families, I want tons of kids, but no, I can't live with myself brining a baby into this. And what will everyone think? I'm not married, and most of the Royals will look down on me because of that. I can't make everyone happy in this situation."

"Why don't you just make yourself happy."

"I'm going to be a politician, it doesn't work like that."

"I guess." I said, debating if I should tell her. "The queen is dead." I said after a moment of silence.

"What?" She asked, frantic.

"The queen is dead. You are our only hope."

"Stop the car." I kept driving. "Rose, stop the car I have to go to court."

"No. Its not safe."

"Rose."

"Lissa, you have to know I'm only doing whats best for you."

"What's best for the people is that I get to court and calm them down."

"You come first. I'm the head of your guard, I make the decisions regarding your safety."

"No, Rose take me back to court." She wasn't trying to compel me, I knew, bbut a bit of compulsion leaked into her words.

"Don't compel me!" I snapped. "Do you know what I am doing to keep you safe right now? I left Adrian, my mother is probably dead at court, and you want to go there? No. You are staying with me, and we are going to Hawaii. I pulled into a gas station and got out of the car. "We need a new car anyway."

I woke Chase and Derek by slamming the door, and took Lissa to the bathroom. I stood outside as she went, and watched as Chase went next door to the car rental and rented a car. It was a black Lexus. I grabbed the backpack and escorted Lissa to the new car, still not talking.

I got into the back seat and fell asleep, leaving the driving to Chase and Derek.

I was out cold, and Adrian came to me.

"Is everyone alright?" I asked him. Hugging him and hoping he would say yes.

"Yeah, we had to get away from a tail though. Took a while, but we lost them."

"Where are you?"

"I think we're somewhere in Illinois." I nodded, and the dream began to fade.

"Damn." Adrian kissed me quickly and the dream disappeared.

I woke with a start to the sound of shouting.

"Give me that phone!" Lissa was screaming. I quickly understood the situation by her feelings. Michael was talking to the guardians at court.

"Michael. Let me have it." I said, taking the phone from him.

"Hello?" I said.

_Give me the phone, Rose. I need to help them._

"Do you have the princess with you?" A voice asked.

"Who is this?"

The person on the phone seemed annoyed. "You don't recognize the voice of your own mother. Now tell me, do you have her with you?"

"Yes." Thank god, my mother was still alive and at least slightly well. I could hear the alarms and shouting behind her voice, but she had control of the situation.

"Where are you?"

"I can't say, but we are heading towards a secure location."

_Let me have it, Rose. _

"Here's Lissa." I said, handing her the phone.

"Thanks." She said before demanding she talked to a Moroi official or someone in power. When she did, she started her political speech. "My guardians are refusing to take me to court." She said, still slightly bitter. "So I need to keep in contact with you by phone. How long has it been since the attack?"

"10 hours." The person on the other line said.

"And has any central authority been established?"

"Among the guardians, yes, but most of us Moroi are too shocked to react to the situation."

"What are you doing with the Moroi who were… helping?"

"Some of them were killed, but many are in the prisons under high security."

"Ask about their motives." I whispered to Lissa. She relayed this information.

"Most are refusing to talk. We have learned by the ones who did that they were angry with the queen. They won't say why or if you are targeted as well, but I assure you we are doing everything we can."

I took the phone from Lissa. "You better be."

**Thank you for reading.**

**Merry Christmas… wait that's not 'politically correct'- HAPPY HOLIDAYS (haha inside joke don't ask)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Songs of the chapter: Blind- Ke$ha, Pumped Up Kicks- Foster the People**

**Chapter 12**

"Where are we going?" Lissa asked me, hand on her stomach as if she were going to be sick. I was zipping through traffic, changing lanes rapidly.

"Chicago. We'll catch a plane to Hawaii."

Chase sat next to me in the front, Derek next to Lissa in the back of our new Ford.

"Yes- Chicago International to Hilo." Chase confirmed with the airline. "No- I need seats together. Money is no object." He shot me a glance. "You know what- talk to Rose- yes she is flying with us."

"Hello?" I said, taking the phone.

"I'm sorry miss, but we only have separate seats on this flight."

"You don't understand, we are flying with a VIP- she needs her bodyguards on her at all times- it is _imperative_ that she is not harmed."

"Can't you take a private airplane?"

"No- this trip is last minute. Listen lady," I decided to let her in on a little more. "This is life and death. We are happy to pay for the new flights of those affected by this. Please just work something out."

"Fine," She said, and I heard the tapping of keys. "You are booked for flight 345 to Hilo. Have a pleasant day."

"I'll try." I said, tossing the phone to Chase. "We've got it." I announced.

"Nice job." Derek said, handing a green-looking Lissa a Pepto Bismol. I remembered a long time ago when Lissa and I had first heard the commercial and had copied it over and over, making us laugh so hard each time that it hurt. It was these memories that I needed to protect, those memories and those of the future, our future.

Chase turned up the music so that it drowned out all other conversation. Lissa grabbed a book from her bag, Chase messed with the navigation system, and Derek was doing something on his phone.

I glanced at Lissa in the rear view mirror, watched her eyes flick across the pages of her book, those green eyes that I knew so well, she looked up and met my gaze. She nodded, knowing my emotions of nostalgia and worry. I focused back on the road, breaking my gaze with those eyes that knew me so well.

We got to Chicago in plenty of time, which was bad. I didn't like sitting in that airport, my black bag at my feet next to Lissa's designer one. She fished a bag of vitamins from her bag and took one, a small sad smile on her face. "Christian was supposed to remind me to take these." She said slowly, looking down at the bottle. I took them from her hands, putting them back into her purse. I handed her my cell phone.

"Don't tell him where we are." I whispered as she dialed the number.

Derek walked over to us from where he and Chase had been checking the schedules. "The time is still the same- they haven't moved it up like we wanted."

"Whatever." I said as Lissa frantically spoke with Christian.

Derek sat next to me. "We'll get together with them soon." He assured me.

I shook my head, closing my eyes. "I'm so selfish, thinking about this while she's in danger." I studied her, her smooth blonde hair, her polished clothing, then I looked back at Derek. "It's stupid right?"

"No." He said, "It's the way it is." He shrugged.

We sat in silence for a moment.

"The famous Rose Hathaway cracks." I heard from in front of us, and automatically a grimace replaced my sad face.

"I am sick and tired of you right now." I said to Chase, though he hadn't bothered me since we had been on this trip. "You need to shut up." He moved to speak. "And that's an order."

He stiffened, not thinking I would play the authority card. He nodded, and went to patrol the area.

Lissa tapped me on the shoulder, seeming to be in a better mood. She smiled, lighting up her face, and she handed me the still-open cell phone. "Hello? Christian?"

"Come on." A voice said. "Don't you want to talk to me way more than you want to talk to Christian?" Adrian.

"How are you?" I said, my eyes flicking around the room as I spoke with him, taking in every person in the terminal. One man was staring at us- I shot him the finger. A pale woman was sitting way too close for my comfort, but the sun on her proved to me that she was not a vampire, but I kept an eye on her.

"Fine. I miss you."

"Its only been a day and a half!" I teased. "I miss you too. Are you safe?"

"Yes, we are." He said. "There are ton's of guardians here, no need to worry."

"Yeah but are any of them good?" I asked, fully knowing most of them were.

"Don't worry about my safety Rose- although that is cute."

"Oh be quiet."

"When can I see you Rose?"

"When it's safe- I told you."

"Ok."

"Adrian," I started. "Did you mean it? About having kids?"

"Of course. Imagine the super attractive children we would have."

"I have to go." I said, hearing the PA system announcing our flight. "I love you."

"I love you too."

I hung up, shoved the phone in my pocket, and grabbed my bag and Lissa's, though she objected. I walked by her side, Derek and Chase behind us. We all noticed the woman I saw earlier stand up too, and head straight toward us. Silently, Chase and Derek dropped back as to let Lissa and I get onto the plane safely. I shot them a glance, and Derek nodded, confirming that we should go on and wait for them.

I handed the woman our boarding passes and she gestured for us to go through the door. "Have a nice flight, Miss. Dragomir."

"Actually," Lissa said, in a light tone, "Its princess."

I glared at her, sensing her playfulness. _Come on Rose, have some fun. She won't believe a word I say._

"Of course Princess." The woman said, unfazed.

We got onto the plane, settling into our first class seats, Lissa in the window, me in the aisle, and the two seats behind us remained empty. Just as the doors were closing, two people stepped onto the plane, and I exhaled in relief to see they were Chase and Derek, unharmed. They sat down quickly. Lissa got headphones and started to watch a movie, but I kept watch, making sure that we were the only ones who knew about vampires on this plane.

We took off, and I relaxed slightly, knowing no one was getting on this plane until we got to Hawaii. _9 hours to go_, I thought, settling deeper into the extra large seat.

Two hours in Chase switched seats with me so that I could sleep, which I had not since we left more than 24 hours ago.

I slept through the rest of the flight, and Lissa woke me just before we landed. "You needed the sleep." She said as her excuse not to have woken me up.

Whatever, we were here. We walked straight to the rental cars, where I rented a nice black SUV. Chase drove, I sat in the back with Lissa. We pulled up within a few minutes to the Four Seasons. I looked at Lissa, who was grinning.

"I've always heard of how nice this place is." She said.

"Yeah, its completely safe for Moroi as well. I would be surprised if there weren't a few here."

We declined escort to our two-bedroom suite, where Lissa and I would sleep in one room and Derek and Chase the other. We got the master (thank you Lissa) and Lissa immediately wanted to go swimming. Although this was about being safe, I didn't discourage her from using the beautiful pool. We opened the glass doors from our room that led to the lawn that turned into stones around the pool.

Everything was amazing. The sky was full of clouds that were turning red and pink from the sunset, and the palm trees looked dark next to the brilliant colors. The sunset reflected onto the water, that had calm waves crashing onto the beach every few seconds. The pool was by the ocean, which I didn't understand, but I got it as soon as I stood next to the pool. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen, the sky going on forever. I pulled off my cover up dress, throwing it on a chair next to where Chase and Derek were sitting. Chase raised his eyebrows at my black bandeau bathing suit. "Its guardian black." Was my only response.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

We had been here for a week, swimming, surfing, and watching TV. We couldn't leave the resort or risk Lissa being in more danger but Lissa was often on the phone with court. The royals had been talking about Lissa's coronation, which would take place as soon as the court was secure.

The plan so far was to get everyone but royals out of the court and to grant access to those moroi who were not royal but were extremely loyal to the monarch or that lived there. The tricky business was working out if those loyal were still loyal, and finding those who wanted to harm. Other Moroi were allowed during the coronation, but there were increased security measures implemented. The wards were fixed and two more layers of protection were added. There were now security checkpoints to enter each building and to enter court. There were metal detectors and various other things that resembled airport security checkpoints that the United States had implemented. Finally, the only people allowed to have weapons were the guardians, and only one stake each.

These same security measures were put in at other safe places such as the academies, the resort in the mountains, and other places all around the world. My mother had told us it would be safe to bring Lissa back soon, where four more guardians would be added to her detail. She would be escorted everywhere with at least four guardians, and the students from St. Vladimirs would be coming, bringing many novices and guardians as well.

Meanwhile, Lissa was preparing for her coronation in the best way possible- shopping. She ordered dozens of dresses online with overnight shipping, each of them with an empire waist to cover anything that might reveal her pregnancy. In my opinion, she was being very, very cautious. She had known for three weeks now, and she didn't have a bump at all. From our reading in ozens of pregnancy books she had ordered, she wouldn't have a chance to show before her 6th week. So if I calculated quickly… that was this week, and she wasn't showing at all. God, this was complicated. If her coronation was the week after next, she should be fine, but I understood her panic.

She had spoken with Christian quickly, and he had started arranging a marriage to take place the day after her coronation. It would be a small, intimate ceremony with just the princes and princesses and friends and family. Lissa was also searching for a wedding gown, of which she had arranged that someone come to our hotel and show us some dresses. The woman was coming tomorrow and was bringing ten dresses she believed Lissa would like.

Today, Lissa and I were deciding which dress she would wear to her coronation. She was a modern princess, but she wanted something slightly traditional, so she took the first gown, an empire-waisted gold dress that flared near the bottom, and tried it on. She came out of the bathroom in it, wearing a pair of heels she had bought as well.

"How do I look?" She asked, twirling.

The dress had thin, off the shoulder sleeves and was fitted over the bust, and then flared out, making Lissa look taller and even more beautiful.

"Its amazing, Liss, but the exact same shade as your hair- you need something brighter to make your hair and pale skin pop."

She laughed at my commentary, sounding so much like those shows that she watched and I made fun of, and went into the bathroom, changing into the next dress, which was my favorite. It was a deep green color, far darker than her eyes, and was strapless. This gown flared out at the hips, and was traditional but at the same time completely Lissa. It matched the Dragomir jewelry she owned, but also looked amazing on her.

"This is it Lissa." I said as she twirled.

"I agree."

The next day, a woman named Terri came with ten dresses all hung in garment bags. Chase and Derek helped her hang each one in the hall closet and she turned. "Who's the bride?" She asked, looking around the room.

"I am." Lissa said, stepping in front of me.

"Oh- alright!" Terri said, shocked at Lissa's age. "I've brought you ten dresses that from our conversation I think you will like."

"Good. Lets get started."

Derek, Chase, and I all sat in the living room as Lissa tried on the first dress. She came out in a gown with a long train, lace covering just the part above the waist. It was a ball gown, and I could tell that Lissa didn't like it. I decided to back her up.

"Nope." I said, and Derek and Chase shook their heads, though I'm sure they had no idea what they liked best.

The next dress she came out in was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. It slowly flared out, had a sweetheart neckline, and was a beautiful silk. She looked amazing, and I went to get some of her jewelry so that she could see how she would look. I placed an emerald necklace around her neck and Terri pinned a veil in her hair.

The dress accentuated the few curves that she had, and made her look really beautiful. She twirled in the dress, then looked to me. "Christian's gonna die." I whispered to her.

_Yeah,_ she thought, a small smile on her lips, _that was the point._

"This is perfect." She said to Terri. "Did you bring the maid of honor dress?"

"Of course." Terri said, vanishing to get the dress from the hall closet.

"I never really asked you…" Lissa said, grinning, "But I wanted you to be my maid of honor."

"Of course." I said, heading to the bathroom and trying on the dress I was handed.

I pulled it over my head, and examined myself in the mirror. It fit well- very well, and I knew Lissa had chosen it because the color looked really good with my skin tone. It looked way better on me then that dress I had worn to the dance Dimitri and I had first let our control slip. But that was behind me.

It was a pale gold, only glittery if you stared very hard, and it looked like it was painted on my body, hugging my curves and accentuating my waist. Lissa had left a pair of heels in here for me, and I slipped them on. I opened the door and stood next to Lissa.

"Think of the wedding pictures." She said, sighing.

"Think of Adrian and Christian's faces." I said, placing an arm around her shoulders. "Congrats Liss."

A few days later, we got the call.

"This is happening sooner than I thought." Lissa said, carrying just her purse through the airport. I carried my bag and the boys carried the garment bags, Lissa's bags, and their bags. Ah, the power of seniority.

We got onto a larger plane this time so we had decided to split up our seating. Lissa and I would be together in First Class in the front of the plane, Derek would sit somewhere in the middle and Chase would sit in the back. It worked well because we could keep an eye on everyone who boarded the plane. We hadn't had any problems, but we were sure that was because we were in sunny, remote Hawaii.

We landed at 7 o'clock in the closest airport to court. A detail of guardians picked us up in a limo, and I was glad to fall asleep after the 14 hour flight of staring at people. I slumped against Lissa's shoulder and dreamed of the ocean.

We got to court at 8 o'clock and were greeted by Adrian, Christian, Eddie, Mia, Violet and April. Lissa got out f the car and was immediately swept up into Christian's arms, hugging her viciously and kissing her on the lips, then the nose, then the forehead. I was the last to get out of the car, and you could see the weight fall of Adrian's shoulders.

"Happy to see me?"

"Ecstatic." He said, wrapping his arms around me and hugging me tightly. "I missed you."

"I was gone two weeks. Its fine."

"A lot happened."

"Oh?" I raised my eyebrows. "Like what?"

"We moved." He said, "And I have to go through a metal detector to go to see my parents.

"I'm sorry." I said, pulling him into the limo where everyone else was waiting to take us tour new home.

It was amazing. Literally, when you went through the gate (GATE?) it said 'Dragomir Manor' in cursive on the arch. There were seven bedrooms, each occupied. Eddie and Mia, Violet and April and two new guardians slept on the first floor in three bedrooms. On the second floor there were four bedrooms, two offices, a gym, and a living room. Adrian and I had one room, Michael, Chase and Derek shared another, Christian and Lissa had the master suite, and three new guardians shared a room. The furnishings were beautiful, and one office had become the guardian headquarters. While Lissa told Christian what needed to be done in the place ("Christian! This wall color needs to be changed- a light blue maybe?") I met with Lissa's guardians in our office. There were two desks, a large corkboard, and a dry erase board. The new guardians were named Vera, Bethany, Matt, Eli, and John. Including me, Derek, Chase and Michael, there were now nine of us to guard Lissa. There were three layers of wards, we were next door neighbors with court, and a large stone wall.

We discussed shifts and protection, then I met with Adrian so that he could give me a tour. The house- manor- was shaped like a U, and in the space between the two wings there was a hot tub and a large porch. There was a short walkway lined with fountains that led to a pool and a pool house (with a bathroom and such). I was informed there would be a maid and a cabana girl to get us drinks and such. There was a tennis court, and a large lawn half the size of a football field. Everywhere I looked it was amazing.

"I want to go swimming." I suddenly said, pulling off my shirt and pants and diving in wearing my underwear. Adrian pulled off his shirt and jumped in after me, standing in the water I had to swim in. He pulled me toward him and kissed me lightly on the lips. "I'm glad you're safe." I said, kissing him after I finished. "Its beautiful here."

"Fit for a queen." He said. "And Rose."


	14. Chapter 14

**Misguided Ghosts- Paramore**

**So I've been at camp for two weeks- SORRY! Anyway I'm back and writing again now and its my goal to write one or more chapters a week until my junior year starts- September 6****th****- so that's at least four more chapters for you! **

**Chapter 14**

A few weeks later, I was on the night shift and I decided to just watch the door. I leaned against a mahogany column and contemplated what to do with me and Adrian's room. I was good at this- watching and thinking at the same time- I was so used to it.

Our room had been left up to us, just the mattress on the floor and a chair on the balcony overlooking the front yard. Adrian said we didn't have to worry about it, and that he would get an interior designer to do it, but I didn't want that- I wanted to do it on my time off with Adrian. I had decided that we would paint the walls red, a color that reminded me of him and his dreams. I bought a mahogany bed online and a dresser to put all of the clothes in. But it wasn't the furniture I was focusing on, it was the décor. Like our last room, I wanted it to be personal, so very un-Rose, I know.

My eyes darted across the room at a sound and a shadow creeping across the hallway. I pulled out my stake from my pocket, and silently crept across the room.

The shadow moved, I lunged. My stake was at her heart, not touching the skin- thank god- before she could even speak.

"Rose!" She whisper-yelled. I quickly pulled the stake away from her heart and pushed it into my pocket.

"Sorry Liss-" I said. "New place- it's got me on edge."

"Don't worry. Its partly my fault- I was blocking you so you wouldn't worry." She said, rubbing the spot where the stake had almost touched her skin. "I'm just a little nervous." She smoothed her hair. "The wedding is tomorrow."

I had almost forgotten. "Then you need your sleep."

"Yeah, but I can't sleep. Christian went out with the guys for drinks, and I'm alone."

I looked down at my watch- I still had an hour of my shift. I sent a quick text to Bethany that I needed her to start her shift early and she was awake and downstairs within a few minutes. I took Lissa upstairs and laid next to her in bed. She shifted so she was facing me and finally fell asleep.

I fell asleep soon after, and woke to Violet knocking on the door, "Princess? Wake up!"

I shook Lissa awake and opened the door to Violet, who came in carrying Lissa's dress. She was followed by a hairstylist, makeup artist, and a manicurist.

"Alright ladies." The hairstylist said, placing her perfect, long-fingered hands on her tiny hips, "It's 9 o'clock- so we have about three hours to get you aisle worthy. Lets go."

I got into my shower, leaving Violet and April to watch Lissa, who was starting her primping.

I got out of the shower and threw on some sweatpants and a 'Property of Saint Vladimir's' Shirt. I left my hair in a towel and went to grab some breakfast. I poured myself a bowl of cereal and sat down at the dining room table.

There were people everywhere. Yes, everywhere. I sat in the middle of guardians bringing fancy chairs to the backyard, florists placing vases and arrangements all over, and many Moroi royals all finishing up the royal wedding.

I finished my cereal and put it in the kitchen, which was beginning to be taken over by the caterers. They happily washed my bowl and gave me an apple for Lissa. I headed upstairs, surprised to find myself walking next to Adrian, hair messed up even more than normal, dark circles under his eyes.

I shook my head at him and smiled as he grinned sheepishly. "I swear- nothing happened- just drinks with boring old Christian."

"I don't doubt you." I said, kissing him lightly on the lips. I smelled his shirt. "Go shower though- you smell to horrible to be the best man."

"I'll see you later." He kissed my cheek and dashed down the hallway towards our bathroom. I headed to Lissa's room, where her nails were being carefully French-manicured. I sat down and the hairstylist started curling my hair into long ringlets that flowed across my shoulders. While I was sitting there, Mia and Jill walked in, their makeup and hair already done. Lissa hugged each one of them and I waved from my chair and they slipped on their bridesmaid's dresses. They were similar style to mine but a slightly different color.

When the lady finished my hair, she switched with the manicurist and I got my nails done in a French manicure that would come off tomorrow when I went to the gym, but it didn't matter- it was beautiful for today- and today was about what Lissa wanted.

I got my makeup done and slipped on my dress. It was already half an hour from the ceremony. I helped Lissa get her dress on and handed her my blue pumps. "You forgot old, new, borrowed and blue." I said.

She hit her hand against her face. "I KNEW I FORGOT SOMETHING." She slipped on my shoes, which were blue and borrowed, and the dress was new. She practically ran to her closet and came out with her jewery case, producing a hair comb that the hairstylist placed in her hair. "Old, and real diamonds." She said, smiling.

"How do I look?" She adjusted her veil and grabbed her flowers- simple red roses.

"Amazing." I twirled her and walked down the stairs with her. I fixed the back of her dress, then gestured Mia and Jill down the aisle. I kissed Lissa on the cheek, and met with Adrian, walking down the aisle arm in arm.

"You look beautiful." He whispered into my hair.

"You clean up nice." I said, and we parted, I standing next to Jill and Mia, Adrian standing next to the groomsmen. There were guardians everywhere- the area was lined with guardians every few feet.

The ceremony passed in a blur- one moment Lissa was walking down the aisle alone, the next they were kissing and everyone was cheering- polite clapping from the royals, whistles and yelling from the teenagers sitting in the back. Then we were walking down the aisle, and I saw him lunge.

Time slowed down a moroi man, tall and dark-haired, was lunging toward Lissa- a dagger in hand. In less than a second I was on him, throwing him on the ground as Lissa and Adrian were rushed into the house and the royals scattered. I pinned one of his arms behind his back, but he obviously had been trained and knew what I would do. He flipped before I could get to his other hand, the one with the dagger, and slashed up, across my body. I didn't even feel it, and he was back on the ground in seconds, guardians swarming around him. I grabbed his weapon, which was covered in my own blood, and I slid it into my stake-holster on the inside of my thigh. He was handcuffed, and I ran inside to see if Lissa was okay.

"Rose!" She said, running to hug me, but I stopped her.

"No way are you getting blood all over your dress." I walked to the bathroom, and she followed. She didn't notice that she was followed by Adrian, Beth, Vera, and Eli. I grabbed some towels and tore off my dress, which was ruined anyway, and started examining the wound. Before I could stop her, Lissa's hands were on my stomach, her eyes closed, and the wound was gone. "You shouldn't have done that." I said, wiping dried blood off my body.

_Yes, I should have. _She said through the bond. She handed me a towel. _Now go put on something- the royals would be horrified to see you in your underwear._

I pushed past the three guardians and grabbed Adrian, pulling him upstairs with me. He handed me his jacket so I could cover my underwear. "You okay?" I asked him, studying his shirt for signs of a wound.

"I'm fine." He said. "I was so worried about you." He pulled me to him, kissing me intensely on the lips. "Do we need to go back downstairs?" He asked.

"Yes. It's my best friend's wedding." I pulled him into our bedroom. "Wait for me. And don't you dare go out on the balcony. I locked the door so that I woudn't have to worry about him too much while I changed.

I pulled on a red satin strapless dress and fastened a necklace Adrian had bought me around my neck. I slipped on my black heels and adjusted my thigh holster.

I emerged from the walk in closet and grabbed Adrian's hand.

"And now we have to deal with the reception." I said, sighing.

"It won't be so bad-" Adrian added sarcastically.

I shot him a look and opened the door, just to be faced with about a half dozen Moroi- and they didn't look happy.

**THANKS FOR READING- PLEASE REVIEW- it will really make my day :D**


	15. Chapter 15

**HEY EVERYONE- HERE IS THE NEXT CHAPTER- HOPE U LIKE IT :D**

**ITS MORE OF A FILLER BUT THE NEXT CHAPTER IS LISSA'S CORONATION! KEEP READING + KEEP REVIEWING = I KEEP WRITING**

**LOVE ALWAYS- BRIE**

**SONGS: Hangover- Hey Monday, Smile- Avril Lavigne, Mr. Saxobeat- Alexandra Stan, The Man Who Can't Be Moved- The Script**

**Chapter 15**

I pushed Adrian back into the room, and deciding to fight them, pulled the door shut behind me. Hopefully he had enough common sense to lock it behind me. Not wanting to kill these moroi, I decided to fight with the dagger that I had taken from the man at the ceremony. I heard screams downstairs from moroi, and guardians shouting, directing people through the chaos. I slashed across the first Moroi's chest, not a deep wound, but moroi had not been trained to ignore pain like I had. He fell back in pain, and I moved to the next moroi, who was as tall as Dimitri. It reminded me of the lesson in which he had taught me to use height to my opponents disadvantage. I kicked at the knees, making him fall back, taking down another one of his 'friends'. I kicked them both in the head, knocking them out, but not doing any serious injury. Three left. They seemed to realize that they weren't going to get anywhere with me here, so they ran down the hallway. I didn't follow- I had a moroi to protect.

"Adrian- open up." I said, and he opened the door for me. I quickly locked it behind me and pulled him towards the balcony. I saw seven of Lissa's eight other guardians loading her into a car and start the engine. The other royals were being protected by the other guardians, so they would be safe. I caught Chase's eye as they left me. He signaled to me a four, then a one, then a three. I knew what he meant. We had long ago come up with plans and plan numbers so that we knew what was going on. I darted to my closet and grabbed my radio, fastening it to my ear. "Adrian- I don't want you out of my sight- you hear me? You need to stick to me at all times. This is for your own safety." I flipped on the switch and started speaking into the radio.

"The teddy bear is secure."

"The hawk is flying." I heard Chase say back, telling me that Lissa was safe and on the move.

"Is my code name the teddy bear?" Adrian asked, horror all over his face.

"Yes." I answered. "I came up with it." I grinned and pulled him down the hallway, sticking close to the wall. We made it downstairs fairly quickly- it seemed as if the moroi causing the trouble had fled. Adrian and I got into my Porshe, and I sped down the long driveway, away from whatever was lurking at court. Plan 413 meant we would meet at the McDonalds a mile from the interstate.

We pulled into the parking lot and I got out, "Come on Adrian." I said, in complete guardian mode now. I walked silently next to him and slid into the booth next to Lissa, who was wearing a pair of jeans and a tank top now. I nodded to Eddie, who switched with me on guarding Adrian. I grabbed Lissa's hand.

"Hey- you ok?" I sensed something was wrong through the bond.

"Its my wedding day, Rose." She whispered. "It's supposed to be the best day of my life."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah-" Christian chimed in. "It's all going to be fine. It's the best day ever!"

"Not helping." Lissa said, scowling into a box of French fries.

When all of the gaurdians had gathered at the McDonalds, we decided the best thing to do was to go to court and stay in a secure location there. We all piled into the cars and drove there, always about thirty miles above the speed limit.

I was in the first car, a black suburban (yes, I let someone else drive the Porsche), with Lissa. When we got to court, I showed the guard our identification, flashed him a smile, and hit the accelerator. I pulled up right next to the door and jumped out. Chase climbed over the center console into my seat. I stuck to Lissa's right side, and I could sense her mind was racing. Bethany was on her left side, Vera was behind her, and Michael was in front. None of us spoke.

We got through the new security systems, only seeing guardians and the occasional moroi- maybe everyone had gone to seek a safer place- there was no safer place than court… normally. We guided Lissa into the queen's apartments, where she collapsed on the couch. "This is so frustrating!" She screamed.

I shot the other guardians a look, they backed off slightly, and I sat down by her head. "How much spirit have you been using?" I grabbed her arm to keep her from turning away.

"Rose- I'm fine- calm down!" She wasn't. I could sense the darkness leaking into her mind through the walls she put up. She shook off my arm.

"Send it to me." I said, grabbing her hand before she could dart away. How had I let it get so bad that she wasn't willing to send it into me. She had to- and it would be my fault if she didn't. "Now."

"Rose! You aren't my mother! I can take care of myself! You aren't supposed get to tell me what to do, but you always do!"

I backed off. I went into the other room. Christian looked at me. "I'll go calm her down." He said, "You need to rest."

Christian was being nice? Lissa was angry- what was wrong with today? I switched out with Violet in guarding the room and sat down in Adrian's lap.

"You're exhausted." He whispered, the flatscreen TV playing a human news channel. Terrorist attacks at a Russian aristocrat's home in Pennsylvania- human versions of what was happening.

"They're trying to figure it out- but they can't." I said. "Thank god for the alchemists."

"Rose." He ran his hand through a piece of my hair, twirling it around a finger, "Without you- I wouldn't be here today." His eyes stayed on the news channel. "Thanks." He met my gaze, and kissed me slowly on the lips.

Everyone was out of character today. It was beginning to freak me out.

"Rose?" Christian's voice pulled me back to the situation. "She agreed to, but I would go fast before she changes her mind."

I bolted into the other room, not missing the look Adrian shot Christian and him saying: "Do you know how busy she's been- we can't get a moment alone."

"She's a guardian, man, get used to it." Christian replied, and then I was out of earshot.

"Come here." Lissa said, grabbing my hands and sending it into me.

I wasn't calm- or tired- anymore- I wanted to go kick someone's ass. Lissa, however, was back to her usual self. "Rose." She said, pulling me towards the door. "Rose you need to let it out. Kick a wall or something. Do you want me to get Adrian?"

I nodded slowly and she left, soon replaced by Adrian. "Hey, Rose." He said. "Lissa told me what happened." He said, shutting the door and pulling me close to him. He kissed me hungrily, and I kissed him back with the same hunger, and we were both glad to be together again. The rage still hadn't worn off, but Adrian held me while I struggled- something he was getting better at- and comforted me, keeping me from going at someone with my stake- most likely Chase, because he was the only one I didn't like here.

After a few minutes the rage was gone and I fell asleep on the couch, Adrian settling in behind me.


	16. Chapter 16

**Songs: Stereo Hearts- Gym Class Heroes, Coming Home- Diddy, Dirty Money, Skylar Grey**

**CHAPTER 16**

"Rose? Rose wake up!" It was Adrian, jostling my shoulder and whispering in my ear. "Its time to get back with the others."

"Yeah." I said, sleepily moving so he could get out of the couch after me. I fixed my dress, which had rode up, then abandoned it and grabbed a guardian uniform from by bag. I changed quickly.

Adrian opened the door and we walked into the living room, catching another guardian- I recognized him as one of the upper officials here at court- mid sentence. "It will be safe for you to remain at court- your coronation will occur as we discussed tomorrow- two days after the original date. Your things will be brought from your home, and you may stay here- your friends will be given apartments as well. It is important that you stay at court and are always with a guardian. I'm sure your guardians will take care of that. We will be allowing people on grounds several at a time after through questioning. You will not be in danger."

"That's not I'm worried about- I'm worried about the fate of the Moroi if we are turning on each other. How are we going to live if we can't trust each other more than we can trust Strigoi?"

"I agree, princess, and we are working on solutions."

"What I'm saying-" She said. "I s that maybe I'm not the best candidate for queen."

He stared at her, puzzled.

"These riots- they are all my fault- I need to either show them that this is going to be the best or show them I'm not the one that will be their monarch. There's no compromise."

"Then show them that you are right. Show them guardians having a say is for the best." I interrupted the other guardian. "Show them that change is good. Show them that you are their queen- and you are here to stay."

Lissa looked at me, then nodded. "Rose is right. Stability is best." She grabbed Christian's hand, "Now I must rest- I will see you in a few hours." She disappeared through a door and April followed her to check the windows and stand in front of the door.

"So." I said, squeezing onto the couch in between Eddie and Adrian. "There's a couch in the other room- there's this couch- there's the chair, and the floor. Divide it up. Beth, Michael, Derek and I will stay up for the first shift.

Eddie and Mia fell asleep on the couch, Violet took the couch in the other room, and Vera, Matt, Eli, and chase fell asleep on top of blankets that some guardians had brought for us. Adrian sat against the wall near me.

Our new apartments would be ready in the morning, but until then, I leaned against the wall and surveyed the room, finding the faults and keeping an eye on them. This room was pretty safe, but I would never stop watching, I promised myself- I would always watch.

The next day, after Lissa's dress was delivered and everyone was awake, we all ventured to the feeders and cafeteria. Us guardians stuck to the moroi like glue, and I had given Eddie special orders to keep an eye on Adrian, who, without his alcohol and cigarettes, was beginning to get a little on edge.

Lissa got her blood and then we went to the cafeteria. I got Lissa her yogurt and grabbed myself a doughnut. I got Adrian a bagel, and Christian a pear. We ate in a comfortable silence.

"So Liss-" Adrian started. "Coronation. Nice."

"Yup." She said, twisting her hair into two braids and tying them off with white hair ties.

"Nervous?" He asked. "I would be nervous."

"Oh stop, Adrian!" I said, kicking him under the table. "She has no reason to be nervous. She's gonna show those people who think she's insane that she is the best damn queen this world has ever seen."

"Well thank you." Lissa said, grinning at me, looking far from a queen with her hair in pigtail braids, solid white shirt, and bright red lipstick, which popped from her skin beautifully. She looked more like a teenager than royalty, but she was both.

"Its time to go back." I said, checking my watch. "Your coronation is in three hours."

We all walked back to the queen's apartments, I unlocked the door and we entered. Lissa went to take a shower and I turned on her flat iron and took out her makeup in her bathroom. She emerged from the shower wrapped in a towel and sat down as I did her hair so that it was straight and smooth. Guardians drifted in from time to time, doing rounds of the rooms. She applied her makeup, and I helped her put on her dress, the deep green contrasting against the stark white bathroom marble. I placed the Dragomir tiara into her hair fastened her favorite necklace, and twirled her. The skirt flared out, and she grinned. "Thank you." She said, hugging me close.

"No problem." I straightened my hair and fixed my jacket. I borrowed Lissa's red lipstick, and looked at myself in the mirror. A beautiful, tall girl in a green dress, with light coloring, and her stark opposite, a smaller girl with dark hair and skin, dressed in guardian black. It was almost comical. I laughed.

"I never thought this day would happen." She said said, pulling me into a hug.

"Don't mess up her hair!" Christian said sarcastically, leaning against the doorway. He kissed Lissa on the cheek. "I'm here to escort my lovely wife to her coronation."

"Thank you, Mr. Ozera." She said, linking her arm with his. Christian was used to not being the center of attention, and I got the feeling he knew he would be the accessory to a beautiful queen for the rest of his life. He looked at me over Lissa's shoulder.

"You coming, Guardian Hathaway?" He grinned "None of these events are interesting without you."

I grinned, and followed.

The ceremony was boring. For the first three quarters, Lissa was just sitting on a throne at the front of the room. Lots of kneeling and then standing, then sitting, then kneeling, then standing then kneeling then sitting, and my knees were starting to hurt. I sat next to Christian and Adrian in the second row, just behind the princes and princesses of the other families.

The faint scent of alcohol radiated from Adrian, and Christian had on his 'im paying attention because that is what is socially acceptable face'.

Finally, Lissa started doing things, taking off the dragomir tiara and putting on the moroi royalty crown. She wore it well, I thought. She took the scepter (_This is so heavy!_ She thought to me.) and swore that she would be an awesome ruler and all that, and we all clapped, falling to our knees as she walked down the aisle. Her other guardians who weren't guests surrounded her as she left the room, and we all headed to the reception.

It was in the ballroom, next door to the apartments. I rushed back and put on a dress that I had bought a long time ago. I ran back to the ballroom and literally ran into Adrian, who pulled me into the first dance with everyone else.

"I didn't know you danced." I said as he led me along. I had no idea what I was doing, and he noticed.

"Stand on my feet." He said, pulling me up slightly so that I could. I did, and suddenly we were waltzing past Lissa and Christian, Mia and Eddie, and lots of royals. Never had I imagined I would be standing on Adrian's feet like a little girl as we danced circles around nobles at Lissa's coronation- it had never come up in those discussions of 'Where do you want to be in five years'.

Adrian kissed me lightly on the lips. "When are we going to get married?" He asked, using the hand on my back to push our bodies together.

"Whenever you want." I said, smiling up at his handsome face.

"Well lets get to a chapel."

"No- Lissa had everything all planned out- it's going to be beautiful. I bought a dress, and we picked a venue, and it's going to be next summer.

"Anything could happen between now and then." He said.

"Are you urging me to marry you earlier?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I love you." Was his answer, and we kept dancing, and he never complained that his feet were hurting.


	17. Chapter 17

**Songs: PANDORA IS BEAST. I suggest you get it. It's free.**

**CHAPTER 17**

I had the night off, and I spent it with Adrian in our new room. I woke the next day in my new big fluffy bed, Adrian still passed out next to me. I straddled his torso and placed my hands on his chest. "Adrian?" I said in a singsong voice. "Time to wake up."

"I don't want to get up." He groaned. I kissed him quickly on the lips, and then sprinted across the room, standing on the couch. "Get back over here, little Dhampir."

I laid back down next to him, and he turned so that our lips could meet. His hand found the small of my back and pressed me closer to him. I caught a glance at the clock. 7:30.

"Nope." I said pulling back. "We have to meet Lissa and Christian for some meeting with all the other royals at 8:15. And we can't be late."

I took a shower and brushed my hair into a high ponytail, put on my guardian uniform, and added my special badge that showed I was the Queen's guardian. It was green and silver for the Dragomir family. Adrian styled his hair in its messy style and threw on a button down shirt and nice pants. I slipped my stake into my pocket and grabbed Adrian's hand, my engagement ring flashing in the light.

"Lets go." I said, pulling him out the door with me. We were down the hall from the Queen's apartments, and we picked Lissa, Christian, Beth, Violet, Chase, and Derek at her door. Eddie fell in step with us as if out of nowhere along the way to meeting room.

"Morning Princess." I said, in full guardian mode.

"Hey Rose." She said.

"How's the pregnancy going?"

"I'm showing." She said, gesturing to the flowing shirt she wore. She was paranoid about people finding out. "Its not noticeable though, no one said anything yesterday."

"You can make the official announcement in two weeks without looking suspicious." I said softly, my eyes scanning the hallway, watching for any threats- none.

We entered the meeting room, and Lissa sat at the head of the table. The other royals bowed. "No need for that." She said. I placed her notebook on the table in front of her, and then took my place at the wall behind her. "Thanks Rose. Please sit." She said to the royals. They all sat down, and I counted twelve royals in total- everyone was present. There were also people who were not princes and princesses, such as Christian and Adrian, sat in chairs along the back wall, some taking notes like an older woman, and some, like Adrian, not listening at all. "So today's agenda…" Lissa started, scanning her list of things to talk about. "A few new ideas, security here at court, and what to do about these moroi attacks."

"We need to start with the safety of our people." The prince from the Zeklos family said. "We need moroi to know they are safe at court. This has to be a safe haven for people."

"I agree," Said the Ozera Prince. "We need to show them that they can come back. Our security is good, but it needs to be better."

I was shocked about what happened next.

"What do you think Rose? You are the most qualified in the room." Lissa said.

Everyone turned to look at me, shock on their faces. No guardian had ever been asked their opinion at a royal meeting

"I- Um- I think that we need to start with the usual safety we have here but enforced much more strongly, then add more, like the humans did when they were worried about terrorist attacks, with security checkpoints. But I think it is necessary as well that royals come back, because it will assure the public that it is OK to be here. It's also important that we know what these moroi want- why are they attacking? Then address that problem."

"I agree, Rose." Lissa said, turning back to the table of royals. She was a natural, continuing to talk and work the royals while they were still shocked by her asking me my opinion. I could tell that Lissa was going to change the Moroi world forever.

A few minutes later, they had reached a decision- find out why, then proceed. Lissa, on her first day, had the royals working fast and efficiently. "On to new ideas…" She started. "As we showed earlier- guardians and dhampirs have vital ideas and good judgment- not only with problems like these, but also with other problems. I propose that we have a new seat added to our council for the Dhampirs- a person they can elect to the position- like a new family, but made of all the dhampirs." The protests began from all sides. "I know this is new." Lissa said, stopping all of them in their tracks. "But we have to change sometime. This is a compromise that I have come up with that makes both sides happy- the dhampirs get a say. We still get the tradition in our council. I've spoken with many dhampir women who are raising their families and are not guardians, and they say with good hours working at court and a say in our government they would join as guardians at the court and at schools. We could then re-assign the current full time guardians at schools and court to people who need them. It would work out for the best for everyone."

And so Lissa tried to convince them.

By the end of the four-hour meeting, the Voda, Lazar, Badica, and Ozera families were convinced that it could work out, but wanted a trial period to see how it would work. And it was only Lissa's first day.

"Thank you for this great meeting everyone- see you next week." She straightened her tiara, closed her notebook, handed it to me, and I escorted her to her favorite restaurant for Lunch with everyone. I was still a guardian, so I sat quietly next to her while everyone else talked and laughed. I engaged in some conversation, but I was very focused on the room around me, the eighteen other people, the food Lissa was served, the windows and doors and every time they opened.

My eyes scanned the room again and again, and before I knew it lunch was over and it was time to go talk to the public, which was my most stressful part of the day. We parted with Adrian and Eddie and went out the gardens with Christian, Violet, Chase, Beth, and Derek. Christian and Lissa talked while they roamed around talking to people they saw. Lissa worked every person she saw, her charisma leaking into every word she said.

Christian linked arms with her on one side, and I walked noiselessly next to her on her other side. Violet silently walked behind us with Beth, and Chase and Derek walked stoically in front of us. I studied the beautiful landscaping as well as the people and things around us and thought about how much we took all of these things for granted. I made a mental note to myself to talk to whoever was in charge of landscaping and thank them for their wonderful job. So un-Rose, but what can I say, I was changed by everything we had been through.

I no longer had impulses to do things as much as I did before. I found it easy not to jump people when something I didn't like happened, and so far I had only had to tell two people to back off from Lissa. She was a superstar, talking to young children and elderly people, letting little girls try on her tiara and making young boys feel manly. She knew how to make every person happy, and she knew how to work a crowd. Shortly before we were going to go inside, Lissa passed a young girl and her mother, who was holding a crying child. She stopped, her face full of compassion.

"Hi- I'm Vasilisa- who's this little boy?" She asked, smiling at the woman.

"Nicholas, you majesty." She said, curtsying slightly.

"May I hold him?" She asked, and the woman immediately handed over her child. Lissa rocked the baby, showing her natural charm with people of all ages when the baby stopped crying. "Yes." She crooned. "Its all okay. No need to cry." She gave the baby back to the woman and turned her attention to the young girl who was sucking her thumb and holding a ballerina doll with her other hand.

Lissa moved so she was eye level with the girl, who I supposed was about five. "What's your name?" She asked, grinning.

"Anastasia." She said.

"That's a pretty name." Lissa said, pulling the girl's hand gently from her mouth and holding it above her head. "Can you dance just like your doll?"

"Yes!" The girl responded, twirling under Lissa's hand. "I'm the best in my class."

"Beautiful." She replied, smiling warmly. She checked her watch. " I'm sorry, I have to go now, have a good day, Ma'm." She said to the woman, and we walked inside. I could sense that Lissa loved talking to people, and she was filled with joy and happiness at having made someone else happy. It reminded me of how truly nice Lissa was.

We went back to her apartments and Lissa went to take a nap. Being a guardian was a good job and a bad job. It was good because I got to protect Lissa and I got to go places with her and serve my duty, but it was bad in times like this, when I had to stand around and watch the window and door. It was boring, so, so boring.

That night, after I got off around seven, I took Adrian to the bar because I could sense he needed something to drink- Spirit was hard on him, and he was trying to learn new powers with Lissa, so he was using it a lot. He got vodka and I sat next to him, drinking the same. There were many other guardians around, so we would be safe if something did happen. I stopped after one glass though, but Adrian kept going. He was fully drunk when I finally got him to stop, and though I didn't approve of his drinking, I'd rather he did it when I was around. I paid and dragged Adrian back to our room, where we laid on the bed and watched TV for a while.

We fell asleep together, the television still on.

We woke up at the same time and started our day in the usual way.

He had a meeting with some other royals because I had forced him to join some committee so he had something to do. I had a doctor's appointment with Lissa. The doctor was here at court, and Lissa had made sure the nature of her visit was not known to anyone but the doctor.

We arrived and waited in the waiting room for about ten minutes. Lissa read some magazine, I sat next to her, and Michael, Eli, and Matt all paced around the area. Only Lissa and I went into the room, Michael and Eli stayed outside the door, and Matt went to go talk to some of the nurses- he said about protection of privacy, but I was sure it was just to flirt with the younger ones.

"Well, your majesty- we did the tests, and yes, you are pregnant."

"Well I already knew that." She said, lifting her shirt so she could see the tiny baby bump.

"Ah- I see you're already showing your pregnancy."

"Yes." She said, "And we're going to do an ultrasound at our next appointment- I just came in to make sure everything was going well."

The doctor checked the clipboard. "Everything seems perfect." She said. "Just make sure you are eating more than normal, especially after drinking blood, the baby needs food even if you aren't hungry, and that's about it."

They discussed a few more things about multivitamins and nutrients and I zoned out. We left the doctor, made another appointment for later in the month, and left.

"Rose?" Lissa said as we left the doctors office, trailed by the other guardians. "Will you do me a favor?"

"Sure." I said, preparing to run an errand or something.

That wasn't what she said.

"Will you be my baby's godmother?"


	18. Chapter 18

**SONGS: again, I listened to Pandora- I'll keep track next time, but I was listening to the John Mayer channel….**

**Chapter 18**

"Lissa I would love to-" I started, then I realized the weight of this- if something to happened to Lissa and Christian, I would be responsible for their baby. "But I don't know if that is what's best for the baby. I'm not always going to be there for it. Its important that if something happens to both of us that your kid is taken care of."

"Nothing is going to happen to all of us. Please just say yes."

"Fine." I said, patting her stomach. "I will be that little thing's godmother. Thank your for the sincere honor, your majesty."

"Stop!" She scoffed, laughing. We started back towards the car, and I scanned the street in front of us, looking for any threats. No one threatening.

"Excuse me?" A girl around Adrian's age asked, coming from our left. "Hi." She said, once she got our attention. "Are you Rose Hathaway?" I was shocked she asked for me and not Lissa.

"Yes." I said, my protectiveness making me edge in front of Lissa. Everyone else was on edge too, closing in and forming a tight, protective formation. "And you are?"

"Nancy." She said. "Nancy Duncan. You know Adrian Ivashkov?"

"Yes." I said, skeptical, "I know him."

"Good." She said, taking a few steps back. "Um- will you just give him this, and tell him it's from me? I don't have his address anymore and I heard you two were friends…" She handed me an envelope, no writing on the outside, sealed with a piece of tape.

"Sure." I said, placing it in my coat pocket. "No problem. Now we need to get going- the Queen has an appointment."

"Of course." She said, bowing her hear slightly to show respect to Lissa. We got in the car and drove away, Derek driving, Lissa and I sitting in the back seat.

"Ok- lemme see it!" Lissa squealed, grabbing the envelope and opening it, pulling out a picture of a young girl about four years old. On the back, written in cursive, it said 'Lucy's 4th Birthday'.

"Lucy?" Lissa asked, showing me the photo.

"She's adorable." I said, taking it and studying the girl, who looked so familiar. "But why is Adrian getting a picture from Nancy Duncan of a four year old?"

"We'll just have to ask him." Lissa said as we pulled up to our building. Lissa and I exited the car, leaving Derek to park it. We went inside and headed towards her apartments, where she had a meeting with Michelle Conta, who would be Lissa's royal advisor. She had been recommended by Tatiana because she was older and wiser, but also knew more of what was expected of her during her reign then either of us did. WE waited in Lissa's fancy formal parlor and after a minute Lady Conta entered with her two guardians.

"Hello, your majesty." She said, shaking Lissa's hand. "Such a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine." Lissa said, going into politician mode.

They both sat, and I as they talked I studied Lady Conta's two guardians. They were both older than me, in their early thirties, I would say, and both were men, which wasn't surprising. One was taller than the other, but the shorter one seemed stronger, and I guessed, like me, that he had a speed advantage. Lady Conta lived at court, so these guardians were familiar to me, but I didn't know them by name. They seemed to have the relationship with Lady Conta where they were silent and followed like shadows, only interacting with her in danger, the opposite of my relationship with Lissa.

"I'm Rose." I whispered to them, shaking both their hands. They introduced themselves as Alexei and Hector. We made a silent agreement that we would share the guarding of the room, and I stood near one window, Hector near the other, and Alexei near the door. I didn't listen in on Lissa's meeting, mostly because I didn't find the subject matter that appealing- one can only talk about proper manners and court policies for so long, and really I just needed a break from that during which I could just be a guardian and watch the room. Lissa happily granted me that, but I could sense through the bond that Lissa was paying close attention to every word Lady Conta said, ad that she liked this woman.

She was around forty, with a dark bob and brown eyes. She wore a pencil skirt and a tailored blazer with high heels, exactly what a woman like her was supposed to be wearing. She was a stark contrast to Lissa, who looked nice but not as prim as Lady Conta. After about two hours, they had run out of things to talk about, so she and her guardians left, telling Lissa that they would meet for a shopping trip in twenty minutes.

Lissa, done with her meeting, dragged me to her closet. "Rose- we talked a lot about what I'm expected to wear, and I really think I need some more nice outfits. How many skirts do I own? Three? I'm allowed to dress down if I'm just hanging around court, but if I have meetings or appearances I should really dress up."

I sighed. "I guess we're going to the mall."

"Yes we are. We have to meet Lady Conta." She said, slipping into a pair of dark 'dress' jeans and an embellished red tank top that she layered with a black sweater. She placed a small diamond tiara in her hair and looked at me, smiling. "Queen worthy?"

"Very." I said, and we exited our building, flanked with two guardians.

We found Lady Conta outside a small store that sold mainly clothes Lissa was expected to wear. Hector and Alexei were with her, so we decided to combine our forces and have two near guards and two far. It wasn't necessary for us to be with them at every minute, but in light of the recent attacks, we needed to watch more carefully than normal.

Several hours and six shopping bags (which I ended up carrying) later, Lissa and I walked through the doors of our building and handed off the bags to the man standing at the desk controlling who came in and out. I had business to take care of, and Lissa followed me to my room. I opened the door, and Adrian was sitting on the couch, checking his phone.

"Hey." He said, getting up and kissing me on the cheek.

"Hey." I said, smiling. "So listen- this girl came up to us and asked us to give you this envelope. So naturally, Lissa had to open it." I handed him the picture.

He stared at the picture, shock on his face. "Who gave you this?"

"Nancy-" I turned to Lissa. "What was her last name?" I asked.

"Duncan." Lissa finished, looking to Adrian, seeing if the name rang a bell- apparently it did.

"Damn." He swore under his breath, I don't think he meant for me to hear that. "Lucy is my cousin's daughter- I haven't seen her since she was born."

"She's so cute." I told him, but I could tell he was hiding something from me. I let it go for now and kissed him goodbye. "Lissa is going to get her nails done. I'm going with her- I have tomorrow off so I think we should all do something fun. I'll talk to you about it later." I kissed him on the lips quickly and grabbed my keys. "Bye baby."

"Bye, little Dhampir." He slapped my ass and I left, smiling.

As soon as the door closed, Lissa looked at me. "He's hiding something."

"Yeah I know." I said, and we went so that Lissa could get her mani-pedi.

I got off around seven o'clock, and Adrian and I decided to cook dinner. "One problem." I said, opening our fridge and looking at the two items inside- water and milk. "Nothing to cook with."

"I've got my credit card, and there's a grocery store down the block." He said, grabbing his wallet and opening the door for me.

"Thank you." I said, pulling on my sweatshirt. I grabbed his hand and we walked down the hallway towards the next building over. What could Adrian be hiding? It had to be about this Nancy Duncan or Lucy his cousin's daughter. Had I seen her before? She had seemed very familiar.

"Adrian?" I said, swinging our hands together between us.

"Yeah."

"What is really up with Lucy?" It couldn't be that bad, even if he was hiding something.

"Okay Rose, I should have told you a long time ago, but I love you so much, and what you're about to hear doesn't change that. I am so sorry I didn't tell you."

"Adrian?" A voice asked.

Adrian's eyes closed, as if in pain. His voice was quiet. "I'm so sorry."

Nancy appeared behind him, holding the toddler from the picture. "Adrian Ivashkov?"

He didn't turn to face her. "I love you. I have always loved you, and I will always love you."

"Adrian? If you tell me you've forgotten-" She didn't finish.

"I remember." He said, turning around. "This is Rose." He introduced me. "She's my fiancée."

"Congratulations." She told me a warm smile on her, she held the toddler towards Adrian. And then she said something that almost killed me. "Adrian, be a good dad and hold your daughter so I can talk to your fiancée, she seems so nice."

**I am so evil :D Gotta love it 3 **

**PS: I MEAN IT THIS TIME. IF I DON'T GET FIVE REVIEWS- AND I KNOW MORE THAN 1,000 PEOPLE READ THIS- FOR THIS CHAPTER I'M NOT POSTING ANOTHER FOR TWO TO THREE WEEKS. SORRY I HAVE TO DO THIS- PLEASE?**

–**BCWUW4**


	19. Chapter 19

**SONGS OF THE CHAPTER: All I Wanted- Paramore, 1901- Pheonix, Like We Used To- Rocket to the Moon, Back to December- Taylor Swift**

**13 reviews! Thanks guys! Can we make it to 15 this time? You're the best!**

**Chapter 19**

"What the hell Adrian?" I yelled, pushing Nancy aside and staring at him. "Dad? Daughter?"

"I-" He started to defend himself.

"You never told me about this? Adrian, we were going to get married! When were you planning on telling me this?"

"I swear I was going to!"

"I had to ask you about it, Adrian, before you would even talk about it! Were you even going to tell me the truth then? And you lied to Lissa and me earlier! How could you keep something like this from me?" I demanded, and he couldn't respond. He reached after me, and then, like my impulsive self, I pulled off my ring, and slapped it into his hand. "I don't know how I can trust you if you kept something this big from me. If you had told me- I wouldn't have been so mad." I walked off the way we had come. He didn't follow.

I roamed around in the gardens and courtyards for a while, just thinking. Had I made a mistake? Would it come back to haunt me? Who knew what was going to happen? All I knew was that I was mad- so, so mad at Adrian. How could he not have told me about his daughter? Isn't that something very important that you tell your fiancée?

My actions sort of reminded me of Dimitri, and how he had always kept his emotions stuffed inside of him, never letting them out like me. He would have held this inside him, not showing anything at all.

I went to Lissa's room and let myself in, the guardians on duty not caring that I went in and it wasn't my shift.

Lissa and Christian were falling asleep in the big fluffy bed- I had been walking for far longer than I realized. Lissa woke slightly when she heard me come in, but saw the look of pain on my face and moved over, patting the space she vacated. I snuggled under the covers and she put her arm around hugging me close. "I'm sorry Rose." She sighed, falling asleep against Christian on one side and me on the other.

The next morning, I woke to Christian talking to Lissa. "Why is Rose here?" He asked, sitting up in bed. Lissa's arm was still around me, and her comforting touch made me feel so much better.

"She had a rough night." She said, evading the question because she didn't even know the answer. Christian went off to take a shower and Lissa sat up. "Alright, Rose, tell me." She said.

I didn't sit up, lying in bed with my eyes closed, but she knew I was awake.

"Adrian and I had a fight." I said, pulling the duvet up closer to my shoulders. "Lucy, that toddler- is his daughter.

I didn't have to open my eyes to see the look on her face. "What?" she said. "And he didn't tell any of us?"

"Nope." I said, signing.

"I'm sorry Rose."

"No need. Today's my day off- and you don't have any meetings. What do you want to do?" I threw up mental walls against the pain and longing that was eating away at me and changed the subject to something that was far more enjoyable.

"Well there's a bunch of things we can do, but we have to stay on court. I've been meaning to turn the other bedroom into a nursery, if you want to help…" She said.

"Sure." I said, finally getting out of bed. I had never changed out of my jeans and tank top last night, and I didn't want to go back to my room, at risk of seeing Adrian. Lissa ended up sending Derek to go get me a new shirt and pair of shorts. He was back within five minutes, holding a pair of denim shorts and a blue solid t-shirt.

"Here." He said. "And if it helps, Adrian looks like he has no reason to live anymore. He's really beating himself up."

I smiled at his trying to help and I went to get changed in the bathroom. Lissa met me in the second bedroom, and we stared at the room. It was completely unsuitable for a baby. It was all gold and red, with a giant ornate bed and dark wood. Everything was fancy- chandeliers and oriental rugs that looked just as expensive as my Porsche.

My Porsche reminded me of Adrian, and our fight last night about Lucy. I shoved the thought out of my mind and moved on to more important and immediate things, like stripping wallpaper.

Apparently the designers of this room had used the most easy kind to get down- thank god, and I got into a rhythm of scraping and peeling as Lissa rolled up the rug and brought in Eli and Matt to take apart the furniture and take it away. Lissa took off the wallpaper adhesive with a chemical soaked rug, and the walls were bare within two hours. Christian came in and started dealing with the light fixture, and I was surprised how handy he was. He had the chandelier down in a few minutes without any help from anyone else and then went out to buy the yellow paint that Lissa showed him on the color strip. He and Violet went to Home Depot to get our paint and Lissa and I finished the room. It was completely empty now, and I was surprised how the work had distracted me from Adrian and the longing to see him again that filled my chest as soon as Lissa and I sat down to watch TV.

I was horrible at being mad at him- although I still was so mad that he didn't trust me and I had to figure out how to deal with our 'trust issues', I still wanted to see him, curl up in bed with him, but even more odd, I wanted to know Lucy. I wanted to be the 'fun aunt' she would grow up and know- I wanted to be there for her and for Nancy and for Adrian, and most, I missed him like hell. When I expressed this to Lissa, she looked at me odd.

"You really love him." She said, patting me on the back.

"Well yeah." I said.

"I just realized how deeply that emotion runs- even though this has happened you still want to be with him, near him, and you don't want to stop loving him."

"I don't think that's possible." I murmured, staring at the television.

"Do you want to go see him?"

"Yes." I said. Realizing all the emotions I was keeping back and shoving away were making me want to see him even more. "I miss him so much."

"Go." She said, pushing me from the couch and towards the door.

"I can't." I said. I missed him so much, but I didn't know what to think- he didn't tell me a major thing in his life- and I was going to marry him. Was? Am? I couldn't answer that- I had given him back the ring, but that was in a moment of blind rage, so how could I have been thinking straight?

I decided I would go talk to him tomorrow, and we could work out everything then. For now I would help Lissa with the nursery. Christian came back with paint, and with all three of us painting, it went really fast, and we were done in an hour and a half. Now, we needed furniture, so we decided to go out of court and buy some. It was late in our day and very early in the human's day, so we could get into several stores at this time of day- and we could get the furniture today. We took two suburbans to the furniture store, one with me, Lissa, Christian, Violet, and three other guardians, and the other with two guardians that were mostly there to help us get things into the cars and back to court.

We ended up deciding on a white crib and yellow sheets with a dresser, a rocking chair, and a bookshelf. We got a rug as well and some things to put on the wall. We couldn't put any of the furniture in the room because the paint was still frying, but for now we got to put the things in the large parlor until tomorrow morning.

I slept in Lissa and Christian's bed again, much to Christian's disappointment, and in the morning woke up and slipped on a guardian uniform Violet leant me. It didn't fit as well but I would be getting my cotes back, either way today. I headed over to my room and opened the door, and boy was I surprised to see Adrian sleeping in bed, Lucy lying right next to him.

**HEY! Please review this story if you want me to update soon- 13 reviewed for last chapter- can two more people take the time to write just a sentence or two? Fifteen reviews would make my day! Thanks so much!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Blackout- Breathe Carolina, Keep Your Head Up- Andy Grammer**

**Eighteen Reviews! THANKSS! LETS GO FOR 20!**

**Chapter 20**

I shut the door, which woke up Lucy, which woke him up.

"Rose!" He exclaimed when he saw me. "Hi!"

"Hey." I said, staring at the child that had taken my place in the bed.

"Nancy went out with friends last night- she needed me to watch Lucy. I guess she never came back to get her." He ran his hands through his hair, and I saw the relief in his eyes when he saw me.

"I wanted to talk, about what happened, but we need to deal with her first." I said, going to the bed and scooping up the toddler. She had drool all over her face, so I took her to the bathroom and washed her face with a wet washcloth and I brushed out her honey blondesilky hair with my hairbrush.

"Morning, Lucy." I said to her, and she waved into the mirror.

"Rose." She said, looking up at me.

"Yes." I said, looking down at her, and recognizing the green eyes. She was moroi, just like Adrian and Nancy, and she was still young enough that she smiled while showing the tiny fangs.

"Are you daddy's guardian?" She asked, rather articulate for a 4 year old.

"No." I said, "I'm-" I hesitated because I didn't know.

Luckily Adrian walked in and saved me. "Daddy loves her very much." He said. He grabbed his toothbrush and began to brush his teeth. "There's a day care that we can drop her off at and then we can go get coffee." I nodded.

Lucy looked at me. "Do you love daddy too?" She asked, not helping my situation one bit but so curious it was adorable.

"Yes." I whispered in her ear, and she clapped, grinning. I found a backpack with a bunch of her clothes in it, and as Adrian dressed, I put her in a cute pair of jeans and a red shirt- a real Rose Hathaway outfit. I pulled her hair into a braid and balanced her on my hip as Adrian locked up after himself.

"You know what?" I said, stopping at Lissa's door. "Lissa will watch her for a few minutes." I let myself in and found her typing on her laptop at her desk. "Hey Liss." I said. "Will you watch Lucy for a while?" She looked up at me, shock all over her face (her jaw even dropped slightly), but she was smart and figured out whose kid this was, and she gladly said she would watch her. I set her on the couch and turned on some kids TV show for her to watch and Adrian and I set out for the coffee shop. I got a water, and we sat at a table in the back.

"I am so sorry." He started, staring at me over his coffee cup. "I should have told you- it's just that Lucy is a part of my past that I don't like revisiting- that's no excuse- I know, but it's important that you know that she doesn't change anything between you and me- I still love you."

"I love you too Adrian, but I'm hurt you didn't tell me this and that you didn't trust me enough to know a major part of your life- we were going to get married, and I couldn't even know about you daughter?"

"It's not that I didn't trust you- but it was one of those things my parents don't even know. Only Nancy knows that I'm her father- and things between us are completely over- this was five years ago that we were together. I left her before I knew she was pregnant and she only told me two years ago that Lucy exists. I've sent them money, and they've been fine, but I have never told _anyone_, Rose. Please, I need you to come back to me." This was the Adrian that only I knew. Lots of other people knew him as the party boy, the alcoholic, but he had only shown me this other side of him that conflicted about right and wrong, and was far deeper than anyone else had seen from him.

It was that that made me forgive him. That confession showed me that even though we were going to go through some really hard things, but he, and Lissa were the only two who knew me, and I was the only one who really knew Adrian. "You still have that ring?" I asked him, and the shock on his face was almost funny. "Hand it over." I said, holding out my hand. He fished around in his pocket and slid it back on my finger, a full out grin on his face.

"Thank you." He said.

"No need. I'm sorry I overreacted."

"No- you didn't."

"Yeah- I did."

He smirked, threw out his coffee cup, and held out his hand. I took it, and we walked back to the queen's apartments. Technically, it was my shift, so I owed Eli big time for covering for me. Just as we walked in, Christian emerged from the bedroom. He stared at Lucy, with Lissa obliviously typing on her computer, sitting next to Lucy on the couch. Lissa had somehow mamaged to get her apple juice and some cheerios, and she sat happily watching the same show that had been on for her earlier.

"Who's kid is that?" He asked, still staring.

"Adrian's." Lissa said, not even looking up from the computer screen, as if everyone in the world knew there was a tiny Ivashkov.

Apparently, I was now Lucy's favorite person, because she saw me, squealed, and ran over to me, hugging my legs. "Rose is back!" She said happily. I pulled her up into my arms.

"Hey Luce." I handed her off to Adrian. "Do we know when Nancy can come pick her up?" I asked tentatively, since this woman was still a new factor to our relationship.

Christian was still standing there, dumbfounded.

"What's wrong, fire boy?" I asked. "Never seen a four year old before?"

He seemed to regain composure, but still didn't say anything. Adrian answered my question. "I haven't heard from her, and Eddie was supposed to be looking for her."

"Speak of the devil." I said as he came in.

Eddie didn't look happy. Maybe he didn't like running errands, or maybe it was the bad news he brought. "She left court last night and told the guardian on duty she had no intention of returning."

Adrian and I just stared at each other. He looked at me like I would be mad and do what I had done to him two days ago. "Did you know?" I asked.

"She said she was catching up with friends and left Lucy with me, so no."

He was going to need me. "Looks like there's a new addition to our soon-to-be family." I said, taking Lucy back from Adrian, who had been holding her like he had never held a toddler before. It was still early, and Adrian had nothing to do today, so he decided to hang out with us until Lissa's meeting with the party planner for the first big ball she was having as queen. Each new ruler threw an old style ball at the beginning of their reign, and this one was sure to be the best yet. After all, Lissa was the best party planner I knew.

Adrian, Christian, and I ended up watching the Wiggles with Lucy while Lissa typed up some royal plans or whatever she was doing on her laptop. I didn't know what she was doing, but it required a lot of typing and all of her concentration.

"Daddy?" Lucy asked after two episodes. "When is mommy coming back?"

"I don't know Luce." He said, fingering my hair. He was sitting with his arm around, I leaned on him, and Lucy sat in his lap. "Would you like to stay with me and Rose for a while?"

She smiled the cutest smile and nodded.

"We're going to need a bigger room." I said.

Adrian nodded. "I'll get on it."

In a matter of three days, my world had turned upside down, righted itself, and then spun wildly out of control again. I was now taking care of a kid. A child was in our protection. Adrian could watch her most of the time, but Adrian and I would have to change our lifestyle a lot.

"No more smoking for Adrian." I said, smirking. "And no more excessive drinking." I leaned closer to his ear, and whispered "And way less sex for you Adrian."

I kissed his neck, and he groaned. "Lucy, what have you done to me?"

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